Know your healthcare options in west this bank holiday weekend
AHEAD of the February bank holiday weekend, the HSE is encouraging the public to be aware of their healthcare options and to know where to go should you or your family become unwell.
Health staff across hospital and community services in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon will continue to work together to ensure patient flow and access to services throughout the long weekend.
- Consider all healthcare options before attending a hospital Emergency Department including Out of Hours GP service and pharmacies
- Out of Hours GP service Westdoc will be open for urgent GP appointments all weekend. Call 0818 360 000 for an appointment
- Patients who attend EDs for routine and non-urgent treatment may have long waiting times over the coming weekend and into early next week
- UK and Europe are seeing a rise in measles and parents are asked to ensure their children are up to date with the MMR vaccine
Emergency Departments treat seriously ill patients. Visit an ED or call 999 or 112 if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. Those with less severe injuries and symptoms may have to wait to be seen.
Roscommon Injury Unit
Roscommon Injury Unit is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the year to treat a wide range of injuries as an alternative to visiting an emergency department. The Injury Unit is staffed by doctors, advanced nurse practitioners and nurses. If you are looking for advice on your injury and want to know if you should attend the unit, call 090 663 2212.
Tony Canavan, CEO, Saolta University Health Care Group, said: “We are preparing for increased demand for hospital services in the west this bank holiday weekend. Our Emergency Departments can be very busy over long weekends and I apologise to anyone who experiences a long wait time in the ED as we prioritise treating those in need of urgent care.
“Please remember that if you need emergency care we will be there to provide it, but if it is not an emergency please consider all other care options in the first instance. We continue to work in collaboration with our colleagues in community services to ensure that patients are receiving the right care at the right time, in the right place this bank holiday weekend.”
John Fitzmaurice, Chief Officer, Community Healthcare West, added: “We would ask everyone to consider all healthcare options over this bank holiday weekend.
“If you urgently need to see a GP out of hours, please contact Westdoc on 0818 360 000 from 6 p.m. on Friday, February 2, to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 6.
“Westdoc provides urgent out-of-hours GP care for patients of participating practices in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. The GP out-of-hours service is for patients needing urgent medical care. It is not a substitute for the Emergency Ambulance Service who are the appropriate service to deal with medical emergencies where they arise.”
MMR Vaccine
Dr. Áine McNamara, Area Director of Public Health, Department of Public Health HSE West and North West, said: “As we approach the bank holiday weekend and February mid-term, we are reminding parents of the importance of ensuring children and young people are up to date with their vaccinations. As there is a rise in cases of measles in the UK and Europe currently, we are advising people to ensure they are up to date with the safe and effective MMR vaccine.
“Getting vaccinated against diseases like measles, mumps and rubella is vitally important as these conditions can also lead to other serious problems including meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy. Remember, if you or your child has missed their childhood vaccines, it’s not too late to catch up.”
To protect your family and community against measles you should:
· Check vaccination status
· Practice good hygiene
· Monitor for symptoms
Further information about the MMR vaccination is available at https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/.
See the HSE website for more information about the signs and symptoms, treatment and risks of measles at https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/measles.