Long delays at hospital's emergency department today

PATIENTS attending A&E at Mayo University Hospital today (Wednesday) are experiencing long delays in being admitted from the department.

A statement issued by the Saolta Group this morning said Mayo University Hospital is extremely busy and 'we regret that patients are waiting long periods of time to be admitted from the Emergency Department'.

The statement continued: “We know this is very difficult for patients and their families and we apologise for the distress and inconvenience these delays cause.

"We will continue to use beds in St. John's, our acute ward in the Sacred Heart Hospital, to accommodate some patients.

“We want to assure patients that we are working hard to ensure that patients who are appropriate for discharge are identified and discharged home or to another health facility.

"We are continuing to get support from the community to support the more complex discharges.

“If patients are seriously injured or ill they can be assured that ED staff will assess and treat them as a priority.”

The public is being encouraged to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP out-of-hours service in the first instance.

The hospital are also asking that patients wait in the ED alone to ensure social distancing.

The Injury Unit in Roscommon University Hospital is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week and is available to treat a wide range of injuries in adults and children over five years and is an alternative to visiting a busy Emergency Department.