Five ambulances in queue at ‘extremely busy’ Letterkenny University Hospital

The emergency department at Letterkenny University Hospital is extremely busy, the HSE has said, with high numbers of people attending the department who need to be admitted to hospital for ongoing treatment.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, the HSE said there were 105 patients in the emergency department with five ambulances in queue “with additional calls in the community”.

The hospital is advising that patients who attend the emergency department for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times.The HSE said all available beds in the hospital are in use, with patients  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,” the statement said.

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Due to the lack of bed capacity, the hospital is postponing some elective procedures with urgent, time-sensitive cases being prioritised.  Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed.

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

“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.”