Battlefield nurse from Ireland who helped to save many lives

The triage system of treating patients was developed by an Irish nurse on US battlefields, Robert Hume reveals.

FED up with hanging around in A&E? That’s because you’ve been given a low priority triage rating. And you’ve got a Limerick woman to thank for it. Enter A&E at University Hospital Limerick today, and you will be assessed by the triage nurse and assigned a priority rating that ensures life-threatening conditions are seen first.

The hospital uses the Manchester triage model with colour-coded categories ranging from 1-5. If you are given a red Triage 1 you will be seen immediately; an orange Triage 2 within 10 minutes; however, should you be assigned a blue Triage 5, prepare yourself for a four-hour wait.