University Hospital Limerick warns of 'very busy' emergency department

THE EMERGENCY department in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is reliably understood to be particularly busy this Thursday, with reports of ‘long waiting times’. 

A notice was officially put out via social media informing patients and members of the public that the department being ‘very busy’.

It is understood that pressures being experiences is not related to the freezing weather conditions and the snowfall across Limerick and Clare.

Given the pressures being experienced this Thursday, UHL are urging those who do not need urgent treatment to consider availing of alternative medical clinics, such as a GP, pharmacy or a local injury unit. 

A spokesperson told Limerick Live: “We regret the long wait times for a bed and challenges around privacy and dignity currently being experienced by patients in ED. This is not the care we wish to provide for our patients - staff are working hard within existing resources and capacity to reduce these wait times.”

According to a spokesperson for the hospital, 218 people attended the ED on Wednesday March 8 to Thursday March 9 which follows closely on high attendances on Tuesday, March 7 of 237 visits and an extremely high attendance on Monday, March 6 of 273 visits.

University Hospital Limerick was the most overcrowded hospital nationwide in February

It is advised that if one needs treatment, but it is not life threatening, there are alternatives to visiting the emergency department as long delays are to be expected. 

The news comes as UHL was again announced the busiest in the country last month, according to Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) figures recently released. UHL took up 15% of the national total of patients on trolleys in February.