Mayo University Hospital is advising the public of long wait times in the Emergency Department (ED) as it deals with high attendances. The ED in MUH is extremely busy today with more than 500 patients having attended since Saturday morning.
Many patients coming to the ED are acutely unwell and the hospital is treating a high number of patients who require admission to a bed. Its ability to safely discharge patients who are ready to go home remains impacted by local conditions, with many homes in the locality still without power as a result of Storm Eowyn.
A statement from Saolta this afternoon says
Regrettably, this pressure on bed availability is resulting in significant delays being experienced by patients in the Emergency Department.
Due to bed shortages, the hospital is postponing most elective procedures unfortunately including endoscopy. As always urgent and critical cases are considered and prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed.
We apologise sincerely for the inconvenience caused and would like to thank the public for their understanding and patience at this time.
Emergency Departments are always available to treat seriously ill patients and the sickest patients are seen first. We are reminding the public that EDs are for life threatening emergencies. If your health problem is not an emergency you should contact your GP during normal surgery hours or GP Out of Hours service, in the first instance.
People coming to the ED with less severe injuries and symptoms may have to wait to be seen.
For mild illness or non-urgent conditions there are a number of treatment options open to you depending on your illness – being prepared and knowing where to go will mean that you will get treated more quickly and will ease pressures on the healthcare system. The out of hours GP (WestDoc), Roscommon Injury Unit and pharmacies are open for expert advice and treatment.
