University Hospital Galway is reporting extreme pressure on the emergency department this week, with long wait times for patients to get a bed.
The department has seen increased presentations over the last number of days, with 202 Sunday, 296 Monday and 272 Tuesday.
Due to the pressures on the site and the lack of bed capacity, the hospital is postponing some elective procedures.
Urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed.
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.
As of this morning there were 43 patients on trolleys awaiting admission to in-patient beds.
“The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause,” a statement from Saolta said.
“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.”
People are being advised to attend their GP in the first instance if it is possible, and reminded that the Roscommon Injury Unit is 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.
