The HSE has announced that the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) is extremely busy today.
Yesterday, 140 people attended the Emergency Department and the hospital is seeing similar high attendances today.
There are currently 54 patients in the Emergency Department with 16 patients waiting to be admitted.
The hospital is advising that patients who attend ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times.
A spokesperson 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.”
The hospital is postponing some elective procedures due to lack of available staff and beds.
“Urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed,” the statement 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.
“We continue to request that people only attend the Emergency Department at the hospital if it is an emergency situation. We ask that people attend their GP or out of hours service in the first instance if at all possible.”
