Full Capacity Protocol in place at LUH as Emergency Department comes under strain again

The Full Capacity Protocol has been implemented at Letterkenny University Hospital as the emergency department is again under strain.

This morning, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) reported that 23 people were awaiting admission at LUH – 11 of them on emergency department trollies.

Saolta University Health Care Group has issued the following statement:

“The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital remains extremely busy today (28th February) with significant numbers of patients awaiting admission to the hospital. We apologise to patients and their families for these delays.

“The Full Capacity Protocol has been implemented and all efforts continue to be made to identify patients who are appropriate for discharge.

“Management at the hospital would like to advise people who are attending the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital that they can expect delays. We would like to remind the public that we encourage them to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.

“Letterkenny University Hospital again apologises to all patients and their families for any distress caused as a result of these delays.”