Letterkenny University Hospital is facing serious capacity issues this week with near-record breaking numbers of patients seeking emergency care.
Long delays have been reported in the emergency department since Monday.
Some 209 patients attended the Emergency Department on Monday, which is one of the highest attendances recorded in the hospital.
Yesterday saw 155 people attending the Emergency Department and the hospital is seeing similar high attendances today.
As of 12noon today, there are currently 38 patients in the Emergency Department with 16 patients waiting to be admitted.
Staff are also dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak in one ward, with 10 Covid positive patients.
“Please do not visit the hospital if you have any Respiratory symptoms or have had contact with someone who has COVID-19,” a spokesperson said.
“Where a ward is affected by COVID-19 visiting is limited and all visits must be pre-arranged by the family members / nominated visitor, who should contact the relevant ward or unit in advance.”
Saolta has issued a statement today urging the public to consider other options for non-emergency care such as Out of Hours GP and pharmacies before attending an Emergency Department.
They said: “All available beds in the hospital are in use. Patients are facing long waiting times to be admitted from the Emergency Department to a bed on a ward. 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.
“We are committed to treating everyone who presents at the ED but we do so strictly in order of medical priority. The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.”
