There will be further cancellations of appointments in a number of hospitals later this week as a result of the severe weather, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has said.
Most hospitals across the health service are operating as normal, however in areas most affected by the wintry weather there has been some cancellations, which are likely to continue into the week.
In University Hospital Kerry all non-urgent clinical appointments, all outpatient appointments and all dental services were cancelled on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The hospital said these appointments would be rescheduled.
In a statement on Monday, Tipperary University Hospital said: “Please note the situation for the remainder of the week will be kept under daily review and further communications will be released by Hospital Management.”
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HSE Mid West, which covers Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary, said patients should only attend their appointments if they have phoned ahead to confirm it is taking place and that it is safe for them to travel.
“If patients are unable to make contact with the clinic, we will contact them directly. All cancelled appointments will be rescheduled over the coming days. HSE Mid West we will be reviewing all services on a day by day basis as the cold weather is expected to continue well into the coming week,” the statement said.
“We expect to have some staffing deficits due to the weather, however planning is ongoing to ensure we are able to run as many services as possible.”
Sandra Broderick, regional executive officer at HSE Mid West, told RTÉ that the health service is “definitely likely to see disruption, particularly in areas affected by the weather and we’re expecting to see even more attendances given that people will have slips, trips and falls”.
Ms Broderick added that the HSE will work to resume day centres that have been cancelled “as quickly and as safely as we possibly can in the coming days”.
The cold snap has come at a time when the country is experiencing a surge in winter illnesses such as influenza.
[ Why are so many people getting the flu?Opens in new window ]
As of Monday morning, there were 833 people with flu in hospital. This is adding to the pressure on the hospital system, with a total of 534 people waiting on trolleys, of whom 396 are in emergency departments. A further 638 patients are in surge capacity, according to figures from the HSE.
Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said there is a need for an “emergency national plan” to deal with overcrowding as a result of increased demand and a surge in flu cases.
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