UHL emergency department experiencing 'extremely high demand'

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) have appealed to the public to consider all care options before presenting at their emergency department, due to the “extremely high demand” they are experiencing.

“We have been caring for an exceptionally high number of unwell medical patients in the hospital, and the emergency department has seen its highest week of emergency presentations since the beginning of the year,” a spokesperson for UHL said. 

It comes as figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that there are 143 admitted patients on trolleys in UHL as of Monday, March 4.

“UHL is currently at its highest state of escalation, surge capacity has been opened at UHL and across our hospitals. Scheduled activity across all sites has been deferred for tomorrow (Tuesday, March 5) and will remain under review, with only urgent and time-critical patients, including cancer patients, going ahead,” the spokesperson added.

According to UHL, the emergency department remains open 24/7 and urgent care is being delivered to those who need it most.

“Anyone who comes to ED who doesn’t have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury will face a significant wait,” the spokesperson said. 

“We apologise to anyone who has had a long wait for admission to University Hospital Limerick in recent days, and to all who have been impacted by deferrals of surgery,” the spokesperson added.

The public across Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary are encouraged to make use of all available alternatives, including local pharmacies for minor ailments; family doctors and out-of-hours GP services; and the Injury Units at Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals.

“It is encouraging to see the increased demand for Injury Units and Medical Assessment Units in our Model 2 hospitals, as more patients choose alternatives to ED,” a spokesperson said.

“We thank the public for their patience at this time of exceptionally high demand for hospital services, and ask them to continue supporting us in ensuring emergency care is prioritised for the sickest, most seriously injured and frailest patients,” they added.