LETTERKENNY University Hospital is reporting long waiting times for patients in the Emergency Department.
This week, LUH is ‘extremely busy’ with an increase in the number of patients presenting who need to be admitted for further treatment and care.
The hospital has also seen an increase in the numbers of patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms recently and an increase in isolation requirements to prevent the spread of infection.
This has resulted in pressure on bed availability in the hospital. Patients are currently experiencing long waiting times to be admitted from the Emergency Department to an acute bed in the hospital.
“We are sorry for the distress and inconvenience these delays cause and we know this is very difficult for patients and their families,” a statement from Saolta University Health Care Group said.
“We would like to remind the public that we encourage them to attend the Emergency Department (ED) only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.
“We are committed to treating everyone who presents at our ED but we do so strictly in order of medical priority and apologise for the long wait times.
“We would ask that patients wait in the ED alone to help the hospital maintain social distancing.
“A companion will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. We know this is very difficult but we need to do this to minimise everybody’s risk of infection and to keep everyone safe.”
Patients are reminded to wear face coverings in the ED.
As of last night, there were 14 patients at LUH being treated for Covid-19.
Tags: