Recreational pursuits may be behind decrease in weekend A&E admissions

A big drop in admissions to the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick at weekends may be attributed to people putting health concerns aside rather than missing out on social or recreational pursuits on Saturdays and Sundays, a spokesperson for the hospital said yesterday.

If you do have an accident or become ill, Sunday is the best day in coping with a health issue in the Mid-West. Figures released by the HSE on patient numbers attending UL Hospital’s ED for February and March show Sunday is the quietest day by far. A clear pattern also emerges on different days of the week. While admissions are at their lowest on Sundays, they rise sharply to spike on Tuesday and Wednesdays, before dropping over Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

A spokesperson said a number of factors may lead to the drop in admissions to the ED on Saturday and Sunday.