Visiting Restrictions in place at University Hospital Galway

Due to an increase in the number of patients with flu in University Hospital Galway (UHG), visiting restrictions are in place on St Nicholas’s Ward.

The public are asked not to visit St Nicholas’s Ward in an effort to prevent the spread of the flu in the hospital and protect the many very sick patients in the hospital.

Ms Chris Kane, General Manager, UHG said, “We are appealing to people to co-operate with hospital staff for their own protection and the protection of their relatives in the hospital.

“In addition to the visiting restrictions on St Nicholas’s Ward, we are asking the public to consider limiting their visiting in other parts of the hospital and not to visit at all if they have recently had symptoms of the flu, to minimise the chances of it being brought into the hospital.

“Anyone carrying the flu virus can spread it for 1-2 days before developing symptoms and up to 5 days after symptoms develop. You may be spreading the flu and not even know it.

“Our staff are working very hard to care for the many seriously ill patients in the hospital and we need to do everything we can to support them and protect our patients from additional risks of the flu virus.”

Flu is more severe in people aged 65 years and over, pregnant women, and anyone with a long-term medical condition. 

It is not too late to get your flu vaccination and the HSE is urging people in high-risk groups to get vaccinated. The level of flu and influenza like illness remains high and the best way to avoid getting the flu is to get vaccinated.

Facts about flu

1. Flu causes death and hospitalisation every year.
2. Flu vaccine is the best protection against flu for at risk groups and healthcare workers.
3. You need to get flu vaccine every season as the viruses change every year.
4. Flu vaccine contains killed viruses – it cannot give you flu.
5. Healthy people can have flu without any obvious symptoms and pass it on.