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UHL and Emergency Department managing high demand for emergency and inpatient care

Tuesday, October 10th, 2023 ¦ UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick (UHL) is currently experiencing exceptionally high demand and we are appealing to the public to consider all care options before presenting at our Emergency Department.

With 249 ED attendances on Tuesday, and a daily average 228 patients attending over the past week, UHL is currently at its highest state of escalation. Surge capacity has been opened at UHL and across our hospitals. Elective activity in UHL is being reviewed on a daily basis, with only urgent and time-critical patients, including cancer cases, scheduled for surgery this Wednesday.

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.

Our teams are working hard to ensure emergency care is available for our patients. The ED is open 24/7 and delivering urgent care to those who need it most.

Injury Units and Medical Assessment Units in our model 2 hospitals at Ennis, Nenagh and St John's are also experiencing an increase in demand. Over the last nine days, we have seen an average of 166 Injury Unit attendances and 54 MAU attendances in these three hospitals. This compares to 121 Injury Unit attendances and 35 MAU attendances last year. It is encouraging to see this increase in demand for services available in our model 2 hospitals as more patients choose alternatives to the ED.

Management and staff are working hard to manage the increase in demand and we also work to our escalation plan to maximise capacity across our hospitals. Measures taken on a daily basis include opening surge capacity across all sites; transferring patients on trolleys to our inpatient wards; additional ward rounds by medical teams to expedite discharges or identify patients suitable for transfer to Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals; and working closely with our colleagues in HSE Mid West Community Healthcare in order to expedite discharges.

We apologise to anyone who has had a long wait for admission to University Hospital Limerick in recent days. We thank the public for their patience and support at this time of exceptionally high demand for our services.

At the same time, we ask the public to support us in ensuring emergency care is prioritised for the sickest, most seriously injured and frailest patients.

Choosing appropriate care

Everyone in the area can help reduce pressure on the ED by considering all the options available to them if they need medical attention. These are listed below.

However, the public should be assured that anyone who is seriously injured or ill, or worried their life may be at risk, will be assessed for treatment in the Emergency Department as a priority.

Where should people go for care?

We ask everyone in the area to understand the available care options and to avoid the ED except in cases of severe or life-threatening illness or injury.

This will really help us prioritise urgent care for those who need it most. At the same time, you’ll be treated in a fraction of the time you would have spent at the ED.

For breaks, burns and other minor injuries

Injury Units treat broken bones, dislocations, sprains strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns. They are open seven days a week in:

For other less serious illnesses or conditions

Contact your GP or out-of-hours GP services or talk to your local pharmacist.

How can I get updates?

Please check @HSELive and @ULHospitals on Twitter/X or hse.iefor the latest and most reliable news.

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