A patient has described the ‘chaos’ at the Emergency Department (ED) of Letterkenny University Hospital.
The man, who did not wish to be named, contacted Donegal Daily yesterday evening in frustration at the conditions there for both patients and staff.
“Dozens of people have been left waiting anywhere between 12 and up to 30 hours for admission,” he explained.
“We are having to sit on awful uncomfortable seats (not even trolleys) which can only be described as intolerable discomfort, especially for elderly and those in serious pain. In-patient beds have been described as being like ‘hens teeth’, although there are available beds in closed off wards, the problem is that there is insufficient staffing to safely open them.”
This afternoon, the HSE confirmed the ED has been ‘extremely busy’ over the past few days with high numbers of people attending.
According to a spokesperson, Monday saw 167 attendances at the ED with over 150 attending yesterday (Thursday).
As of 9am this morning, there are 34 patients awaiting a bed, with high attendances continuing this afternoon.
“Many of the attendances are patients who are very sick and need to be admitted to the hospital for treatment,” the spokesperson explained.
“There is ongoing pressure on bed availability in the hospital and we regret that many patients are currently experiencing long waiting times to be admitted from the ED to an acute bed in the hospital.”
The hospital is also dealing with a significant increase in COVID-19 presentations and admissions. There are currently 24 Covid positive patients being treated at LUH, with four wards in outbreak.
“Given the pressures and lack of available beds, LUH is postponing some elective procedures. Urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being advised directly and the situation is being kept under review.”
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.
“We are committed to treating everyone who presents at our ED, but we do so strictly in order of medical priority,” the spokesperson added.
“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.”
Need information and advice on COVID-19? Go to www.hse.ie/coronavirus
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