Letterkenny University Hospital is postponing a number of elective day case and inpatient adult procedures today due to overcrowding.
The hospital remains under significant pressure today following a very busy bank holiday weekend for the Emergency Department.
More than 200 patients sought emergency treatment at the hospital yesterday.
As of 8am this morning there were 23 patients on trolleys in ED awaiting admission to in-patient beds.
The hospital is advising that patients who attend ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times.
As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.
A spokesperson from Saolta said: “Due to the pressures on the site and the lack of bed capacity, the hospital is postponing a number of elective day case and inpatient adult procedures. Urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed.
Outpatient appointments are proceeding as usual and people should come to their appointments unless advised otherwise. However, anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 or is a contact of someone with COVID-19 should not come to their appointment and should reschedule by contacting the number on their appointment letter.
The Saolta statement continued: “The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.
“We continue to request that people consider other options for non-emergency care such as Out of Hours GP and pharmacies before attending an ED.”
