Children’s hospital warns of A&E overcrowding

Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, in Dublin, has warned of overcrowding in its emergency department.

A spokeswoman said the hospital was especially busy on Tuesday and a number of children in its emergency department were waiting for inpatient beds.

She said the department was also seeing an increase in patients, particularly very young children and babies, with respiratory infections.

The hospital has asked parents to think about all their care and treatment options, including their local family GP and out-of-hours service, before attending the emergency department.

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“However, if your child is seriously ill or injured, or you are worried that their life may be at risk, please attend our ED and we will assess and treat your child as a priority,” said the spokeswoman.

“Temple Street wishes to apologise to any families who may have an increased wait for their child to be admitted and to families whose children had their surgery postponed at short notice. The hospital is making every effort to improve the situation.”