Patients will less urgent complaints who present at the Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick today can expect long waits for treatment.
The UL Hospital Group is asking the public to consider all available healthcare options before presenting at the ED.
During the month of April, average daily attendances at the department in UHL were 227, compared with the 195 recorded in 2019, the last full year prior to the pandemic.
This trend has continued into May as hospital staff experienced five particularly busy days over the long bank holiday weekend, with 276 patients attending last Friday, followed by 195 on Saturday, 184 on Sunday, 199 on the Bank Holiday Monday and 264 on Tuesday.
These attendances are at levels significantly in excess of what is typical for weekends
This morning management says there were 69 admitted patients waiting for a bed at UHL outside of designated bedspaces.
Injury Units in Nenagh, Ennis and St John’s are operating as normal.
Opening hours for Ennis and Nenagh Injury Units are 8am -8pm and St John’s Injury Unit 8am-7pm.
