Mayo University Hospital (MUH ) is very busy today, Tuesday, September 29 and patients are experiencing long waiting times to be admitted from the Emergency Department to an acute bed in the hospital.
The latest trolly count figures for the hospital from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation showed that today there were 25 people waiting on beds in the emergency department and nine in wards elswhere.
In a statement from Saolta University Health Care Group they outlined the issues saying: "We are sorry for the distress and inconvenience these delays cause and we know this is very difficult for patients and their families.
"We want to assure our patients that we are working hard to ensure that those who are appropriate for discharge are identified and discharged home or to another health facility.
"We are continuing to use beds in St Johns our acute ward in the Sacred Heart Hospital to accommodate some patients while refurbishment work is underway in MUH. We are working closely with our colleagues in the community to support the more complex discharges.
"We would like to remind the public that we encourage them to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.
"If patients are seriously injured or ill they can be assured that ED staff will assess and treat them as a priority. We would ask that patients wait in the ED alone to help the hospital maintain social distancing.
"The Injury Unit in Roscommon University Hospital is open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week and is available to treat a wide range of injuries in adults and children over five years and is an alternative to visiting a busy Emergency Department."
