Long wait times Letterkenny University Hospital ED and some surgery postponed

Patients planning on attending the Emergency Department (ED) at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) are advised that long wait times are likely. 

The service is extremely busy, and the situation is exacerbated with a rise in Covid-19 patients. Some elective surgery is being postponed as a result.

Over the last seven days, 1,015 people attended the ED. 

A spokesperson said: “In addition the hospital is dealing with a significant increase in Covid-19 presentations and admissions. “There are currently 14 Covid positive patients being treated at LUH.”

“Due to the pressures on the site and the lack of bed capacity, the hospital is postponing some elective procedures. Urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed.”

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. As of Tuesday morning there were 11 patients on trolleys awaiting admission to in-patient beds.

“All available beds in the hospital are in use,” said the spokesperson.

“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 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.”

All visitors to the hospital are required to practise good hand hygiene and use hand gel regularly. Face masks are available for use throughout the hospital.