Ophelia: Community Healthcare services in HSE Mid West

Photo: © HSE

Statement from Bernard Gloster Chief Officer HSE Mid West Community Healthcare & Chair HSE Mid West Crisis Management Team for Major Emergencies.
All non essential Community Healthcare services will not operate today and the majority of our local buildings are closed. All residential and emergency services will operate as normal and to the best of our capability in the expected storm force conditions. Our colleagues at UL Hospitals have restricted all services to emergency with ED and Local Injury Units operating. Ambulance services are as normal for emergency work.

It is essential we restrict our services to this level for three reasons.

1. We need to focus in a crisis on those most in need of essential care.
2. We need to protect our staff by minimising their movement to the least amount necessary.
3. We need to reserve our capacity to respond to emerging crisis with our colleagues in the Local Authorities and An Garda Siochana in Limerick Clare and North Tipperary.

“Our Crisis Management Team for the HSE in the Mid West comprising all services was convened yesterday and remains on alert. Our advice to the public is to stay indoors, restrict travel to absolute essential and consider anyone around you who might be particularly vulnerable”.

For HSE services in the Mid West follow updates on local media and on Twitter @BernardGloster or @ULHospitals or @HSELive or @colettecowan1

Please heed the warnings of Met Éireann, your Local Authority, An Garda Siochana and the HSE and be safe.