Staff at Letterkenny University Hospital and all Saolta Group hospital have been praised for their work during the massively disruptive cyber attack on the HSE.
LUH continues to have limited outpatient appointments and elective activity and long delays in the Emergency Department four weeks after the ransomware attack.
Staff have worked around the clock to return services and provide care to patients, amidst their most challenging year with Covid-19.
Tony Canavan, Saolta CEO said: “I’m conscious that again our staff have had to adapt the way that they work in order to deal with this critical issue. And our staff have been excellent in finding workarounds and ways of ensuring that we continue to provide excellent patient care.
“I want to thank staff for their efforts in making that happen and I’m really conscious that you’re doing that in the context of a very, very difficult year as well. So thank you.”
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Patient services continue to feel the impact of the attack in Letterkenny, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon, Portiuncula and Galway University Hospitals.
While key clinical systems are back to some limited functionality, Tony Canavan, Saolta CEO said the hospitals are still experiencing considerable difficulties as a result of that attack.
“What we’re finding is that most of our IT systems are not communicating with each other, they’re not talking to each other and they’re not sharing information with each other and that has a direct impact on our ability to deliver patient care,” he said.
The Emergency Departments in particular are continuing to face significant delays, and patients attending at EDs are being urged to consider other options in the first instance.
Mr Canavan said: “We’re also asking patients that if you’re using our emergency departments in particular to give some consideration as to whether that’s the most appropriate place for you to go.
“If you have a genuine emergency, come to our emergency departments in our hospitals and you will be cared for.
“However, if it’s possible that you could receive appropriate care in some other setting – perhaps it’s your GP or pharmacist – you should give that some consideration as well. All of our emergency departments are experiencing significant delays so if you’re coming in be prepared for that as well.”
