HOSPITAL management at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has appealed to people to consider alternative healthcare options before going to the emergency department (ED), as staff try to secure beds for 150 admitted patients.
With 270 people turning up at University Hospital Limerick ED on Tuesday alone this week, the hospital is asking people with non-life-threatening or less serious conditions to consider other options for care, including pharmacy advice, a GP visit, or in the case of smaller injuries, the injury units in St John’s, Ennis, and Nenagh, where waiting times will be much shorter.
“With an average of 240 daily presentations over the past seven days, an increase on 219 daily presentations during 2023, it is our busiest year on record,” a hospital spokesman said.
“The emergency department remains open 24/7 and urgent care is being delivered to those who need it most. Anyone who comes to ED who doesn’t have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury will face a significant wait.
“We are asking the public to consider all care options, including their GPs, pharmacists, and GP out of hours services before presenting at emergency departments,” the spokesman said.
Injury units and medical assessment units at Ennis, Nenagh, and St John’s hospitals are also experiencing an increase in demand, indicating that more patients are already choosing alternatives to the ED.
A hospital spokesman said: “We apologise to anyone who has had a long wait for admission to University Hospital Limerick in recent days. We thank the public for their patience and support at this time of exceptionally high demand for our services.”
“We ask everyone in the area to understand the available care options and to avoid the ED except in cases of severe or life-threatening illness or injury.
“This will really help us prioritise urgent care for those who need it most. At the same time, you’ll be treated in a fraction of the time you would have spent at the ED”.
