PEOPLE attending Letterkenny University Hospital are being warned that it remains extremely busy today with long wait times at the emergency department.
The department saw a record number of attendances yesterday (Monday) with 203 people through the door.
A spokesperson for hospital group Saolta said, “The hospital is advising that patients who attend the emergency department for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times.
As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend emergency departments where they will be prioritised.
“The high number of people attending who need to be admitted for ongoing treatment means that there is pressure on bed availability. This is resulting in significant delays. As of 8am this morning there were 23 patients on trolleys awaiting admission to in-patient beds.”
The health authority added that all available beds are in use and that every effort is being made to discharge patients who are ready to go home.
“Due to the pressures on the site and the lack of bed capacity, the hospital is postponing a number of elective day case and inpatient adult procedures. Urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed.
“Outpatient appointments are proceeding as usual and people should come to their appointments unless advised otherwise. However, anyone who has Covid symptoms or is a contact of someone with Covid should not come to their appointment and should reschedule by contacting the number on their appointment letter.”
The hospital said it acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.
“We continue to request that people consider other options for non-emergency care such as Out of Hours GP and pharmacies before attending an emergency department.”
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