A total of 115 people presented at Letterkenny University Hospital emergency department yesterday leading to long queues today.
Management at the hospital have released a statement warning anybody attending that they will face long delays.
There are currently 22 patients on trolleys in the emergency department while 24 patients are being treated for Covid 19.
A spokesperson for Saolta said “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. There are currently 22 patients on trolleys in ED.
“In addition the hospital continues to be impacted by COVID-19. As of 8am this morning there were 24 patients with COVID-19 being treated in the hospital.
“All available beds are in use. Every effort is being made to discharge patients who are ready to go home so that beds will become available for patients who need to be admitted, at the earliest opportunity.”
The spokesperson said the hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.
“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.
“If your health problem is not an emergency you should contact your GP during normal surgery hours or the NoWDOC GP out of hours service, in the first instance.”
