Red weather warning will significantly disrupt HSE Services

HSE West and North West is advising that there will be significant disruptions to health services as a result of Storm Eowyn (Friday, 23 January).

The red weather warning will impact the entire region. During red warnings, people should stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, and take action to protect themselves and their properties.

As a result, HSE services and appointments will be cancelled. This will include all Out Patient Appointments, Day Service appointments, electives and community clinics. We will be in contact with this group of patients to reschedule their appointment as quickly as possible.

Patients are advised not to travel to the hospitals unless absolutely necessary. 

The hospitals are putting arrangements in place to ensure the continuation of essential services for chemotherapy and dialysis patients as well as those coming in for urgent surgery. These patients are being prioritised at this time and are being contacted by the clinical teams in relation to appointments/procedures planned.

In circumstances where patients are unable to travel, alternative dates will be provided as soon as possible.

Only HSE buildings connected to immediate and urgent service provision will be staffed during the period of the storm. Primary Care Centres will be closed tomorrow, Friday.

Our Emergency Departments remain open 24/7. Injury Units will also continue to operate as normal.

Supports to vulnerable people at home in the community will be prioritised on an urgent needs basis during the hours of restricted travel (Red Hours).

Health services will do all they can to ensure continuity of critical emergency services including ambulance, ED, dialysis, oncology treatment and pre-natal care for expectant mothers. The National Ambulance Service will continue to respond to emergency calls and will work with other primary response agencies to minimise disruptions.

Red weather warnings bring considerable risk; stay off the road, take extra care at home, stay warm and dry. Only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.  

In advance of the storm make sure you have all essential items, including medications, stocked up. If you have neighbours or family who are older or vulnerable, please check in on them to see if there is anything they need before the warning comes into place.

We will provide regular updates on services on our webpage https://www2.hse.ie/services/disruptions/ and we will also provide regular updates through local media and on our national and regional social media channels. Where possible, our teams will make contact directly with those who use our day centre services in disability, mental health, or older people to advise them of disruptions. Families can also contact their local day service directly to get an update.

Keep up to date with @HSELive and @HSE_West_NWest on X (formerly twitter) or www.hse.ie for all the latest information regarding health services.