The Emergency Department at Portiuncula University Hospital is extremely busy today, Thursday 18 April.
The hospital has admitted a significant number of ill patients recently, many of whom remain in the Emergency Department awaiting a bed.
The public has been asked to only attend the A&E in the case of real emergencies.
Actions underway in the hospital to alleviate the waiting times for patients requiring hospital admission include additional reviews, early discharges and deferral of elective non-urgent procedures.
The Hospital says it regrets the delays experienced by its patients.
In a statement today, a spokesperson for the hospital said: “We would like to remind the public that we encourage them to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.
“Also, the Minor Injuries Unit at Roscommon University Hospital can treat a wide range of minor injuries in adults and children over the age of 5, including broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns that will not need admission to hospital.
“The Minor Injuries Unit is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days per week.
“We would like to thank our staff who are working extremely hard during this busy and difficult time.”
