Long wait times at the Emergency Department in Portiuncula University Hospital

The Emergency Department (ED) at Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH) is extremely busy today and the hospital is advising that patients who attend ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times.
This week has seen very high attendances at the Emergency Department, yesterday 102 patients attended the ED and over 46 patients have presented to the ED so far today. Many of these patients are acutely unwell and have complex needs requiring admission and this is putting pressure on bed availability.  

Unfortunately significant delays are being experienced by patients in the ED who are waiting for a bed to become available on a ward. We acknowledge that long wait times are very difficult for patients and their families and apologise for the distress these delays cause. 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 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. The Roscommon Injury Unit is also open from 8am to 8pm to treat a range of injuries in both adults and children over five years of age.

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