Tallaght hospital warns of long delays in emergency department as all beds occupied

Tallaght University Hospital says its emergency department is experiencing a very high number of attendances and all beds in the hospital are in use.

The hospital has warned of lengthy delays and long wait times for patients attending the ED who do not need urgent treatment.

Due to the high level of attendances and the resulting pressure on services, the hospital has activated the full capacity protocol, it said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Every effort is being made to discharge patients who are ready to go home so that beds will become available for patients who need to be admitted, at the earliest opportunity,” a spokeswoman said.

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Everyone presenting at ED is being treated strictly in order of medical priority, she added.

The hospital has urged people to consider alternative care options before attending the ED due to the long wait times people with less urgent complaints are likely to experience.

There were 23 patients in Tallaght’s ED waiting for admission to a hospital bed on Wednesday morning, according to the TrolleyWatch count by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. This compared to 59 in University Hospital Galway, 48 in University Hospital Limerick and 41 in Sligo University Hospital.

Nationally, 478 patients were waiting for admission; 410 on trolleys in EDs and the remainder elsewhere in hospitals, according to the INMO.

“The hospital regrets any delay a patient of any age experiences whilst waiting in our ED; patients are prioritised according to clinical need,” the spokeswoman for Tallaght hospital concluded. “The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.”