The Emergency Department at University Hospital Galway is extremely busy this evening with patients attending the ED for routine and non-urgent treatment experiencing very long waiting times.
As always, people who require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.
The high number of people attending who need to be admitted for ongoing treatment means that there is pressure on bed availability.
This is resulting in significant delays being experienced by patients in the Emergency Department who are waiting for a bed to become available on a ward.
There are currently 28 patients on trolleys in ED awaiting admission to in-patient beds and over 100 patients within the department.
All available beds are in use. 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.
The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.
UHG continues to request that people only attend the Emergency Department at the hospital if it is an emergency situation.
They are asking that people attend their GP or out of hours service in the first instance if at all possible. The Roscommon Injury Unit is also open from 8am to 8pm to treat a range of injuries in both adults and children over five years of age.
