Letterkenny University Hospital experiencing significant pressure today

The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital is under significant pressure today with high attendances and long waiting times. Yesterday 113 people attended the Emergency Department.

The high number of people attending who need to be admitted for ongoing treatment means that there is pressure on bed availability. This is resulting in significant delays being experienced by patients in the Emergency Department who are waiting for a bed to become available on a ward. There are currently 43 patients on trolleys between the Emergency Department and other areas in the hospital.

The hospital is reviewing all elective procedures given the pressure on the site. Patients will be contacted directly if their procedure is postponed.

In addition the hospital continues to be impacted by COVID-19. As of 8am this morning there were 11 patients with COVID-19 being treated in the hospital.

All available beds are in use. 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 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. If your health problem is not an emergency you should contact your GP during normal surgery hours or the NoWDOC GP out of hours service, in the first instance.