There are very long waiting times at the Emergency Department (ED) at University Hospital Galway today with severe pressure on bed availability.
Yesterday’s attendance at the ED was 248, with the department seeing more than 83 further presentations this morning.
The high number of people attending who need to be admitted for ongoing treatment means that there is pressure on bed availability.
This is leading to significant delays being experienced by patients in the Emergency Department who are waiting for a bed to become available on a ward.
As of this morning, 62 patients are on trolleys awaiting admission to in-patient beds.
The hospital acknowledged that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.
“We continue to request that people only attend the Emergency Department at the hospital if it is an emergency situation,” said UHG.
“We ask 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.”
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.
