Hospitals are likely to be extremely busy over the Bank Holiday weekend with the people in Tipperary being urged to consider all care options before presenting at Emergency Department.
The HSE suggests alternatives such as Caredoc and Shannon Doc should be considered first.
Bank Holiday weekends tend to be busier than normal in the Emergency Departments at University Hospital Limerick and Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel.
When there is a large volume of ED attendances, patients are prioritised in terms of clinical need and wait times for non-urgent care can be lengthy.
As a result people in South Tipp can help HSE staff by considering other options for non-emergency care such as the Minor Injury Unit in Cashel, the Caredoc Out of Hours GP service and local pharmacies.
Caredoc will be open 24 hours a day on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Monday and can be contacted on (0818) 300 365 or (059) 913 8100, see www.Caredoc.ie
Meanwhile for those in North Tipp the UL Hospitals Group and HSE Mid West Community Healthcare have rostered additional staff to ensure patient flow and access is maintained over the long weekend.
As well as the Minor Injury Unit at Nenagh Hospital people are also being asked to use the Shannon Doc service which can be contacted on 0818 123500 or 061 459 500 or on www.shannondoc.ie
