Letterkenny University Hospital is very busy with long wait times at the Emergency Department

The Emergency Department (ED) at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) has been extremely busy over the past few days with high numbers of people attending. Yesterday, Thursday 07 November, 135 people attended at the Emergency Department. There are currently 80 patients in the Emergency Department with 15 patients waiting to be admitted. There are currently 15 COVID-19 positive patients being treated at LUH with two wards in outbreak.

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.

We are committed to treating everyone who presents at our ED but we do so strictly in order of medical priority. The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.

We continue to request that people consider other options for non-emergency care such as Out of Hours GP and pharmacies before attending an ED.

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