Cork hospital experiencing 'unprecedented' demand for services
The hospital is advising members of the public to only present at the hospital emergency department for major health emergencies and to instead use all other options in non-emergency situations - services such as a local pharmacy, injury units, GPs and HSE.ie. Picture Dan Linehan
Cork University Hospital (CUH) has appealed for patients not to attend its emergency department unless experiencing a major health emergency.
The appeal came as the hospital recorded its highest number of attendances ever (293) on Monday with attendances this month up 35% on the same period last year, and admissions up 37%.
For those over 75 years old, attendance is up 43%, and admissions are up 57%.
A hospital spokesperson described the demands as "unprecedented" and said that CUH is utilising all the available hospital capacity and working with community colleagues to maximise what is available in terms of community services.
The hospital is advising members of the public to only present at the hospital emergency department for major health emergencies and to instead use all other options in non-emergency situations - services such as a local pharmacy, injury units, GPs and HSE.ie.
Mr David Donegan, CEO of Cork University Hospital, said: “We are grateful for everyone’s efforts across the Cork health system to ensure that everything that can be done is being done to support patient flow in the short term and to balance risk as best as possible.
“Those in need of care should continue to access the most appropriate source of support and utilise alternatives to ED where possible - GP surgeries and SouthDoc out-of-hours have increased capacity, and local injury units remain open.
“I apologise to all patients and their loved ones for any delays they experience while attending CUH, and I want to thank the public for their continued cooperation and support of our dedicated and hardworking staff.”
HSE figures show that on Tuesday morning there were 57 people on trolleys at the hospital, 40 in emergency departments and 17 in wards, with 10 of those people described as patients aged over 75 years old who have been waiting more than 24 hours.
A spokesperson for the HSE said today that the high levels of activity in hospitals are related to ongoing high illnesses due to winter viruses, saying, “the latest information suggests that influenza levels seem to have peaked."
The HSE added: “While many hospitals have coped very well with the very high recent prevalence of winter viruses, hospitals under considerable pressure today include Cork University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, UH Limerick, Galway University Hospital and Letterkenny University Hospital.”
Damien McCallion, Chief Operations Officer at the HSE, added, “Whilst we ask the public to seek alternative services for non-urgent care, we want to reassure them that anyone who is seriously injured or ill, or worried their life may be at risk, should to go to the emergency department without delay.”
He shared that surge protocols, as part of the Urgent and Emergency Care plan, have been implemented as needed, to reduce the number of patients waiting on trolleys for an acute bed and reduce the number of patients over the age of 75 waiting in emergency departments after a decision has been made to admit them for ongoing care and treatment.
McCallion added, “The HSE also appeals to the public to adhere to the public safety advice regarding the stormy weather and to avoid putting themselves in a position where they may have an accident or require emergency services.”
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