Advice comes amid record-breaking levels of patients at UHL emergency department

THE REGIONAL executive officer of HSE Mid-West, Sandra Broderick, is encouraging the Limerick public to explore all avenues of healthcare before attending the emergency department (ED) as an “unprecedented surge” has hit University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

This Monday, October 7, the UHL ED recorded its highest-ever level of attendees, with 325 patients attending.

Described in a statement issued by the HSE as an “unprecedented level of demand”, a spokesperson said “anyone who comes to ED who doesn’t have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury will face a significant wait”.

Speaking to the Limerick Leader earlier on Monday at the launch of an unrelated pilot project, Ms Broderick said that the high attendance numbers in UHL are “quite significant” and has appealed to the public to use available alternatives ahead of winter.

While Ms Broderick declined to comment on the specifics of the HSE’s winter plan for UHL and the wider Mid-West region, she did offer advice to the public with non-life threatening concerns.

“Attendance numbers have been up quite significantly, making it the busiest emergency department in the country,” Ms Broderick said.

“To reduce the overall number of people attending our emergency departments, I want to encourage people that live across the Mid-West region to use alternative providers available to them, be it a GP or pharmacist for minor illnesses, instead of coming to the emergency department.

“The emergency department is there, you will be seen and treated if you do have an issue or concern that needs addressing, or is urgent or life threatening.”

Speaking about €1bn in national funding announced by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly earlier in the year, Ms Broderick said a board has been set up by the HSE for the Mid-West.

“The Minister was here in April for the announcement of over €1bn of investment, so right now we have a programme improvement board which is aimed to ensure that we deliver those initiatives as quickly as possible, CAST being one of them.”

The Community Access Support Team (CAST) is a project run by the gardaí and HSE Mid-West.