Letterkenny Hospital ‘extremely busy with long wait times’ in Emergency Department

The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital is extremely busy, with high numbers of people attending, who need to be admitted for ongoing treatment.

Last week, the hospital had 1,037 attendances at ED, with just under half of those self-referring (507 patients in total).

The hospital continues to request that people should only attend the Emergency Department at the hospital if it is an emergency situation.

“For non-urgent conditions, please attend your GP in the first instance and please consider all care options,” a spokesperson urged.

The hospital is advising that patients who attend ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience “very long waiting times” as those patients who are more acutely unwell will be seen first.

All available beds in the hospital are currently in use. As of this morning, there were 21 patients on trolleys in the Emergency Department awaiting admission to an inpatient bed, whilst other patients are being accommodated in escalation areas throughout the hospital.

Patients are facing long waiting times to be admitted from the Emergency Department to a bed on a ward.

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The hospital says 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.

As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.

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 says it’s 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.

For mild illness or non-urgent conditions, there are a number of treatment options open to you – being prepared and knowing where to go will mean that you will get treated more quickly and will ease pressures on the healthcare system.

Your local out-of-hours GP service and pharmacies are open for expert advice and treatment.

Anyone with breathing difficulties or chest pain should attend the Emergency Department for treatment or call 112/999 in an emergency, while patients with non-life-threatening conditions should seek healthcare in the community.

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