Emergency Department numbers at Letterkenny University Hospital reach record high

A record number of 194 patients attended the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital in last 24 hours, meaning it at is under significant pressure today with high attendances and long waiting times.

The high number of people attending who need to be admitted for ongoing treatment means that there is pressure on bed availability. This is resulting in significant delays being experienced by patients in the Emergency Department who are waiting for a bed to become available on a ward. The hospital is also treating ten patients with COVID-19 and four patients with Influenza A.

"All available beds are in use," reads a statement from the HSE. "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 acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.

"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.