Health service prepares for busy bank holiday weekend

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Pic: Gregory Clarke

The HSE has reminded the public of all care options available to them as the health and emergency services prepare for what is expected to be another busy bank holiday weekend.

Saolta has reminded people that many local pharmacies will be open over the weekend including Bank Holiday Monday to help with minor illnesses.

For those who urgently need to see a GP outside of clinic hours, the local GP out-of-hours service will be open with additional staff working this weekend.

To make an appointment with the out of hours GP service, contact Westdoc on: 0818 360 000 from 6pm Friday, 4 August to 9am on Tuesday, 8 August.

Hospital Emergency Departments around the country are also experiencing very high attendances, and they expect it to be another busy weekend.

EDs are for life threatening emergencies, patients who attend for routine and non-urgent treatment will be waiting a long time to be seen.

People are asked not to visit a healthcare setting if they have any symptoms of COVID-19, including sore throat, cough, temperature or shortness of breath.

Roscommon injury unit is an alternative to a busy ED, treating breaks, sprains, burns and wounds and open from 8am to 8pm 365 days per year.

The unit can see, diagnose and treat a wide range of injuries for both adults and children over five years old. You don’t need an appointment or a GP referral.

In the past week, there was an increase in COVID-19 cases nationally (22% increase in cases and 19% increase in hospitalised cases).