The Emergency Department at the regions main hospital is experiencing extremely high volumes of patients this weekend.
This is resulting in long delays and extended waits for beds.
Following a week of very high demand for emergency services at University Hospital Limerick, patients are experiencing long wait times in the facilities emergency department.
While, staff continue to follow their escalation plan, which includes additional ward rounds, accelerating discharges and identifying patients for transfer to their Model 2 hospitals, a high number of admitted patients require a level of care that can only be provided at UHL.
Patients currently being admitted are sicker, with more complicated conditions and require longer inpatient stays to recover.
During September, daily attendances at the ED averaged 240, an increase of 22%, compared with 195 in 2019.
UHL are asking members of the public to consider all their care options before presenting to the department including Injury units in Ennis and Nenagh or their GP or GP out of hours service.
The hospital apologises to any patient who has experienced a long wait for admission during this period of exceptionally high demand for their services.
Statement From UHL
UHL’s Emergency Department (ED) is exceptionally busy this weekend, following a week of very high demand for emergency services and patients are experiencing long wait times. Every effort is being made by management and staff to reduce these wait times and to maximise patient flow. We regret that any patient has to wait for extended periods of time.
During September 2021, daily attendances at the ED averaged 240 an increase of 22%, compared with 195 in 2019, the last full year of the pandemic.
We continue to follow our escalation plan, which includes additional ward rounds, accelerating discharges and identifying patients for transfer to our Model 2 hospitals. However, current demand for our services is multi-faceted and high numbers of admitted patients require a level of care that, for the Mid-West, can only be provided at UHL. In general, patients currently admitted to UHL are sicker and with more complicated conditions and require longer inpatient stays to recover.
We remind members of the public to consider all their care options before presenting to the department. Injury units in Ennis and Nenagh are open from 8am to 8pm, and St John’s is open from 8am to 7pm. Injury Units are for the treatment of broken bones, dislocations, sprains strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns. More information on our Injury Units is available here. Anyone with less serious illness or conditions should contact their GPs or out-of-hours GP services. However, if you are seriously injured or ill or are worried your life is at risk the ED will assess and treat you as a priority.
We apologise to any patient who has experienced a long wait for admission to UHL during this period of exceptionally high demand for our services.
