Know your health care options this August bank holiday weekend
THE HSE West and North West are advising people to be aware of their options of care this August bank holiday weekend.
August is a busy holiday period, and this combined with the bank holiday weekend can put extra pressure on the health system, and people are advised to familiarise themselves on care options available to them.
Emergency departments will see higher than normal attendances due to the bank holiday weekend and the HSE would ask for the public’s patience during long waiting times. The HSE is advising that all avenues of care should be considered initially, which may result in Emergency dDepartment avoidance.
If you urgently need to see a GP over the bank holiday weekend, you should contact your local out of hours GP service. Westdoc will be operating at increased capacity in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon from Friday evening until Tuesday morning.
You can find your local GP out-of-hours service here.
Clinics are by appointment only, so please call 0818 360 000 in advance to make an appointment.
You can also receive advice and over the counter treatments from your local pharmacy.
Another option of care is injury units, which treat non life-threatening injuries. Injury units can treat broken bones, sprains and strains, from knees to toes and from collarbone to fingertips. They also treat dislocations and minor burns.
However, injury units are not able to treat serious head, back or neck injuries, abdominal (stomach) pain, medical illnesses or mental health problems. Patients with urgent and life-threatening injuries should still go to the emergency department.
Roscommon Injury Unit treats adults and children from the age of five and older, and their opening hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. The Roscommon Injury Unit can be contacted by phoning (090) 663 2212. Further details are available here.
Plans are in place across hospital and community services to ensure patients can access the care they need in the right setting.