Visiting temporarily suspended at Bantry General; Mercy Hospital experiencing 'high demand' for services

Bantry General Hospital (BGH) has temporarily suspended hospital visits effective immediately due to increased infection control measures.

Visiting restrictions to all wards and departments are in place and visiting will only be allowed on compassionate grounds and must be pre-arranged with ward managers and hospital consultants.

The restrictions also apply to St Joseph’s Residential Unit, which is located on the hospital grounds.

All theatre elective surgery has also been cancelled.

The South/Southwest Hospital Group (SSWHG) said BGH will contact each patient individually and cancelled appointments are being worked on presently with a view to early rescheduling.

Patients are advised that should they have an urgent query in relation to an appointment, they should contact the relevant consultant’s secretary.

Outpatient appointments and radiology are still running at the hospital.

Hospital management has requested that, where appropriate, the public contact their GP in the first instance, and explore all other options available to them, including the Local Injury Unit (LIU), GP or SouthDoc out-of-hours service in the first instance.

The SSWHG said that all appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the risk of spreading infection among staff and patients.

They said the situation will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and any changes will be advised.

Mercy University Hospital

Meanwhile, the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) Emergency Department (ED) is currently experiencing high demand for its emergency services due to an increase in the attendances of acutely ill patients and frail older persons with complex needs, coupled with the challenge of managing increased Covid-19 presentations.

The ED remains open 24/7 however, it is regrettable that patients are experiencing delays.

The hospital is appealing to the members of the public needing less urgent treatment to avail, where possible, of other care services.

Patients with less urgent complaints are advised to contact their GPs in the first instance, or to avail of services at the Mercy Local Injury Unit, St Mary’s Health Campus in Gurranabraher, which is open from 8am to 6pm. The public are reminded that South Doc is also an option for those seeking medical attention outside of working hours.

In addition to the Mercy Local Injury Unit, the Local Injury Unit at Bantry General Hospital operates between 8am and 7.30pm and the Local Injury Unit in Mallow General Hospital is open from 8am to 8pm.

Patient care is a priority at MUH and hospital management would like to stress that the clinical needs of all patients in the Emergency Department are being cared for.