VISITING restrictions have been put in place at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) as the Mid West region is struck by a wave of the flu virus.
This comes as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Union reported 108 admitted patients waiting for a hospital bed at the overcrowded Limerick hospital this Monday morning.
According to a statement from the HSE Mid West, UHL is experiencing large numbers of patients presenting with flu.
A spokesman for the HSE confirmed that “visiting at UHL and all hospitals has been “curtailed to one visitor per patient”, and made the urgent request that nobody visit hospital “if they feel they have the flu”.
Surgery at Mid West hospitals has also been curtailed to emergency operations only.
“UHL is managing high attendances at its emergency department (ED) and significant inpatient admissions, driven by a spike in hospitalisations of people with flu over the past week,” the HSE Mid West spokesman said.
As of today, December 30, the spokesman explained, there are 76 patients with flu in UHL alone – a 204 per cent increase on the 25 recorded on Monday of last week.
Given the demand on services at present, the HSE has installed the following measures at UHL: visiting restricted to one visitor per patient; children are not permitted to visit adult wards; visiting hours are strictly between 2pm and 4pm and 6pm and 9pm; visitors must clean their hands on ward entry and exit; and all visitors are advised to wear masks in the hospital at all times.
“HSE Mid West urgently appeals for people not to visit any of our hospitals at all if they feel they have flu,” the spokesman continued.
“ED attendances at UHL over the last three days have averaged 288, compared with 2023’s average daily attendance of 219. Over the past two weeks, attendances have increased by 30 per cent compared to 2023.
“This is part of a national trend, which saw flu hospitalisations across the country increase from 742 people on Friday to 809 on Saturday.”
Bernard Gloster, HSE CEO, said this past Sunday that the health service expects the number of people presenting to hospitals with flu “to reach around 900 in the coming week and are taking several measures to prepare for the potential surge in hospitalisations and intensive care admissions due to the flu”.
To respond to the demand in the Mid West, as elsewhere in the country, community healthcare measures have been ramped up, including longer opening hours at some GP practices and increased out-of-hours services.
HSE Mid West has urged people across the region to assist in curtailing the spread of flu by staying at home if they have symptoms.
“People should adhere to simple coughing and sneezing etiquette, such as using a tissue or coughing/sneezing into your elbow, and not your hands,” the HSE spokesman added.
“You should consider all available healthcare options, including local pharmacies, your family doctors, or the ShannonDoc out-of-hours GP service on 0818 123 500.
“Visitors to our hospitals are asked not to visit if you have any symptoms of vomiting or diarrhoea, a cough, cold, or a temperature.
“It is still not too late for healthcare workers, at-risk individuals (pregnant; older persons; those with weak immune systems; aged 60 and older) and children aged 2-17 to avail of free flu vaccines, which are available from GPs and participating pharmacies.”
HSE Mid West is also providing access to urgent care facilities as an alternative to ED, including at the injury units at Ennis, Nenagh, and St John’s hospitals from 8am to 8pm daily, medical assessment units.
Alternative treatment to an ED visit is also available at the medical assessment units at Ennis, Nenagh, and St John’s hospitals.
