Long delays for patients today at Mayo emergency department

The emergency department (ED) at Mayo University Hospital is extremely busy this morning with many patients experiencing long waiting times to be admitted from the ED to an acute bed in the hospital.

The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays are causing.

Every effort is being made to discharge patients who are ready to go home so that beds will become available for patients who need to be admitted, at the earliest opportunity.

Given the volume of patients attending the emergency department, the hospital is asking the public to contact their GP during normal surgery hours or GP out of hours service in the first instance if their health problem is not urgent.

The hospital is committed to treating everyone who presents at the ED: people who are seriously injured or ill are assessed and treated as a priority and those who do not require urgent care may be waiting longer.

"We would like to thank our staff for their work and commitment to providing safe care to our patients at this time," a spokesperson added.