There are two significant crowd events taking place in Donegal this weekend, the Donegal Rally and Sea Sessions Festival.
The HSE along with An Garda Síochána and Donegal County Council have engaged with the event organisers in the months preceding the events.
From a HSE perspective this is to ensure they have considered and put in place medical provision to cover these events.
With large numbers expected to attend both events in the county, the HSE is urging the public in the North West to consider all care options this weekend.
Health Services are advising the public that there may be large numbers attending Emergency Departments and they will be prioritising those in need of urgent and emergency care.
The HSE reiterate that patient safety is at the forefront of everything it does and staff will continue to prioritise to ensure critical need is met. As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.
You can help staff at this busy time by considering other options for non-emergency care such as Out of Hours GP and pharmacies before attending an ED.
Out of Hours GP services, NoWDOC and Caredoc, will be open during the weekend. NoWDOC covers Donegal and South Leitrim and will be open from 6pm on Friday June 16th to 8am on Monday June 19th. You can contact NoWDOC on 0818 400 911.
Caredoc, covers Sligo, North Leitrim and West Cavan and will be open from 6pm on June 16th to 8am on Monday June 19th and can be contacted on 0818 365 399. The HSE ask that people use this service for non-urgent care.
Dermot Monaghan, Chief Officer, HSE Community Healthcare Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, Sligo added, “We would ask people to consider all options of care before presenting at Emergency Departments this weekend including GP Out of Hours services and pharmacies.”
Tony Canavan, CEO of the Saolta Group said, “If you require emergency care this weekend, Letterkenny and Sligo University Hospitals will be on hand to provide it. We will continue to prioritise those who need greatest care. It’s important to know that there are a range of care options available to the community that will help ensure swifter access to care for minor injuries.”
John Joe Mc Gowan, General Manager Operation , HSE West National Ambulance Service, stated “The ambulance service has been working closely with our colleagues in An Garda Síochána and Donegal County Council over the last number of weeks to prepare for the upcoming events and the influx of people to the area over the weekend. We have also met with and ran through possible scenarios with the Donegal Motor Club and Sea Sessions organisers.
“We will be putting on additional resources during this predicted busy period and are ready to respond to any emergency that may arise,” said Mr McGowan.
For information on when you should go to the ED visit https://www2.hse.ie/emergencies/the-emergency-department-ed/ or you can get advice on a number of illnesses that can be treated at home at https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/common-illnesses/
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