Patients and staff at the two main hospitals serving Tipperary are once again facing severe overcrowding issues.
According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation there are 345 patients waiting for a bed at hospitals across the country today.
32 of these are at South Tipp General in Clonmel where 21 people are being cared for on trolleys or chairs around the Emergency Department while 11 are in overflow areas of already full wards.
In a statement to Tipp FM within the last few minutes, management at the Clonmel hospital is asking members of the public to only attend in the case of a genuine emergency, advising that, where possible, a GP or Caredoc out of hours service be consulted in the first instance.
STGH wishes to reassure people, that while the hospital is extremely busy at present, patients are being seen and cared for appropriately.
University Hospital Limerick – which caters for North Tipperary – is the worst hit in the country today.
The nursing union is reporting a total of 45 people without a bed – 31 are on trolleys while 14 are in overflow areas of wards in the Dooradoyle hospital.
South Tipperary General Hospital statement in full:
“The Emergency Department (ED) at South Tipperary General Hospital (STGH) is currently experiencing overcrowding. Management at the hospital is asking members of the public to only attend in the case of a genuine emergency, advising that, where possible, a GP or Caredoc out of hours service be consulted in the first instance. STGH wishes to reassure people, that while the hospital is extremely busy at present, patients are being seen and cared for appropriately.”
