University Hospital Galway warns of pressure on ED and lack of beds as flu season begins

University Hospital Galway is recording high numbers of people attending the Emergency Department who need to be admitted to hospital for ongoing treatment. ED attendances on Monday were 265 while 240 attended on Tuesday. There are currently a number of patients awaiting beds in the Department.

UHG explained that 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.

In a statement, UHG explained: "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 this morning there were 44 patients on trolleys awaiting admission to in-patient beds.

"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. The Roscommon Injury Unit is also open from 8am to 8pm to treat a range of injuries in both adults and children over five years of age."