HSE issues healthcare advice ahead of bank holiday weekend in Limerick
The organisation outlined the hospital options available throughout the long weekend
AHEAD of the August bank holiday weekend, HSE Mid West is encouraging the public to familiarise themselves with all community and hospital options available to meet their healthcare needs.
GP out-of-hours services and pharmacies may be more helpful to consider instead of presenting at the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), a spokesperson for HSE Mid West advised.
Hospitals have “enhanced and expanded” local access to urgent care facilities and medical assessment units as an alternate pathway to the emergency department.
Shannondoc Out of Hours GP Services will operate for the duration of the bank holiday weekend and can be contacted on 0818 123 500.
GPs can also refer appropriate patients to the medical assessment units, which are open seven days a week at Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s hospitals.
HSE Mid West has said that the injury units and medical assessment units in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals are managing approximately 1,200 patients per week.
Injury units operate 8am-8pm for walk-in treatment of minor injuries such as breaks, sprains and burns. Patients are typically seen and treated in under two hours, according to HSE Mid-West.
You do not need an appointment to attend an injury unit, and if you’re referred by a GP you will not have to pay the €75 fee.
If you are anxious or unsure where to go, ring your nearest injury unit and our expert team can advise you.
St John’s Injury Unit, Limerick City, can be contacted on 061 4621, Ennis Injury Unit on 065 686 3121 and Nenagh Injury Unit on 067 42311 from 8am-8pm.
Medical assessment units are open 16 hours a day, 8am to 12 midnight, seven days a week.
Medical assessment units provide “a direct referral pathway for GPs to secure prompt assessment and treatment of medical patients who otherwise might have presented to Limerick ED,” a spokesperson for HSE Mid West said.
“The emergency department at UHL is open 24/7 for the most acute and life-threatening conditions,” the statement continued.
“With the ED continuing to experience high attendances in the run-up to the holiday weekend, we are working to maximise patient flow in our acute hospitals and across the healthcare system in the region.”