Sligo hospital's emergency department 'extremely busy'
Sligo Univesity Hospital
The emergency department at Sligo University Hospital (SUH) is extremely busy with high numbers of people who attended over the weekend and were admitted to hospital for ongoing treatment, the Saolta group has said.
Yesterday 141 people attended the emergency department and the hospital is seeing similar high numbers today. There are currently over 50 patients in the emergency department with 23 patients waiting for a bed in ED and other areas.
In a statement, the hospital said it is advising that patients who attend ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times.
"Patients are facing long waiting times to be admitted from the emergency department to a bed on a ward. 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," it said.
"The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause."
The hospital is committed to treating everyone who presents at the emergency department; people who are seriously injured or ill are assessed and treated as a priority and those who do not require urgent care may be waiting longer.
"We continue to request that people only attend the emergency department at the hospital if it is an emergency situation. We ask that people attend their GP or out of hours service in the first instance if at all possible," it added.
All visitors to the hospital will be required to practice good hand hygiene and use hand gel regularly, face masks are available for use throughout the hospital.
People should check the HSE website for useful advice on common illnesses such as colds, coughs, flu, earache and sore throats and keeping well.
