Hospital serving Tipperary urges people not to attend ED due to 'exceptional demand'
University Hospital Limerick has warned that it is currently experiencing exceptionally high demand and is appealing to the public to consider all care options before presenting at its Emergency Department.
With 249 ED attendances on Tuesday, and a daily average 228 patients attending over the past week, UHL is currently at its highest state of escalation.
Surge capacity has been opened at UHL and across our hospitals. Elective activity in UHL is being reviewed on a daily basis, with only urgent and time-critical patients, including cancer cases, scheduled for surgery this Wednesday.
There were 103 people waiting on a bed at the hospital this Wednesday morning, according to Trolley Watch figures.
The Emergency Department remains open 24/7 and urgent care is being delivered to those who need it most. Anyone who comes to ED who doesn’t have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury will face a significant wait.
UHL says that its teams are working hard to ensure emergency care is available for patients. The ED is open 24/7 and delivering urgent care to those who need it most.
Injury Units and Medical Assessment Units in its model 2 hospitals at Nenagh, Ennis and St John's are also experiencing an increase in demand.
"Over the last nine days, we have seen an average of 166 Injury Unit attendances and 54 MAU attendances in these three hospitals. This compares to 121 Injury Unit attendances and 35 MAU attendances last year. It is encouraging to see this increase in demand for services available in our model 2 hospitals as more patients choose alternatives to the ED," they said.
A spokesperson said that management and staff were working hard to manage the increase in demand and they also work to its escalation plan to maximise capacity across hospitals.
"Measures taken on a daily basis include opening surge capacity across all sites; transferring patients on trolleys to our inpatient wards; additional ward rounds by medical teams to expedite discharges or identify patients suitable for transfer to Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals; and working closely with our colleagues in HSE Mid West Community Healthcare in order to expedite discharges," they said.
"We thank the public for their patience and support at this time of exceptionally high demand for our services. At the same time, we ask the public to support us in ensuring emergency care is prioritised for the sickest, most seriously injured and frailest patients," said the spokesperson.