The HSE North West is advising people across Donegal to be aware of their options of care this May Bank Holiday weekend.
Bank holiday weekends and extended good weather can put extra pressure on the health system and people are advised to familiarise themselves on care options available to them.
Emergency departments will see higher than normal attendances due to the bank holiday weekend and the HSE would ask for the public’s patience during long wait times. The HSE is advising that all avenues of care should be considered initially which may result in ED avoidance.
If you urgently need to see a GP over the bank holiday weekend, you should contact your local out of hours GP service.
NoWDOC (Donegal and South Leitrim) and Caredoc (Sligo) will be operating at increased capacity from Friday evening until Tuesday morning.
You can find your local GP out-of-hours service at https://www2.hse.ie/services/find-a-gp-out-of-hours/. Clinics are by appointment only so please call NoWDOC 0818 400 911 or Caredoc 0818 365 399 in advance to make an appointment.
Additionally in Donegal the CIT (Community Interventions Team), a specialist health professional team, offers an extended service from 8am to 8pm, seven days per week and can be contacted in Donegal on 074 9109257 / 086 1082129.
The CIT provides acute, short term nursing interventions, including wound management, oncology care, medication administration and management, patient education and support to promote self-management of catheters and stoma care.
You can also receive advice and over the counter treatments from your local pharmacy.
Another option of care is injury units which treat non life-threatening injuries such as broken bones, dislocations, sprains, wounds, scalds, and minor burns. You can find your local injury unit at www.hse.ie/injuryunits.
Plans are in place across hospital and community services to ensure patients can access the care they need in the right setting.
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