HSE urges public to 'consider all options' before coming to emergency departments

Fileshot of signage at Cork University Hospital for the Emergency Department. Pic: Larry Cummins

The HSE is urging people seeking medical care to consider all options before attending a hospital emergency department.

In a statement on Tuesday morning, the HSE warned that some patients will "regrettably experience long wait times in our emergency departments, urgent patients will always be prioritised for treatment and care".

They noted that the upcoming period will be "one of the busiest ever periods experienced by the health service."

Instead of attending emergency departments, if people are feeling unwell, they are advised to use community pharmacies, GPs and GP out-of-hours services, and minor injury units.

The warning comes as shortages affect 207 medicinal products, including cough syrup and multi-purpose antibiotics.

HSE’s chief operations officer Damien McCallion said: "As expected, Emergency Departments are becoming extremely busy due to the unprecedented combination of very high levels of flu, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses in the community. 

"Those who believe they may be seriously ill and require emergency care should of course come to hospital, but we would urge others to consider seeking support from pharmacists, GPs, GP Out of Hours Services and Minor Injury Units. 

"These services have emergency responses in place for patients presenting with respiratory and other urgent health issues."

However, Dr Fergal Hickey has claimed that this advice is inaccurate- as people with respiratory conditions will not be allowed to enter injury units.

Speaking to Today with Claire Byrne, he said: "The problem needed to be addressed now, it was time to stop moving the deck chairs on the Titanic. This will kill people. Why is this being allowed to happen? Why are old people allowed to die?"

The appeal from the HSE comes as Covid-19 and influenza cases continue to increase rapidly. Notifications of RSV, which had been declining for several weeks, are also now increasing

The HSE added: "Unfortunately, we expect this incline to remain sharply upwards for a number of weeks to come and to continue to seriously impact our hospitals and Emergency Departments.

While this surge of winter virus infections was predicted and planned for, the trends being seen are following the more pessimistic of predicted models, and also appear to be increasing earlier than had been hoped.

On Monday evening, University Hospital Limerick declared a “major internal incident” following an increase in the number of patients attending the emergency department.

Off-duty staff have been summoned back to deal with the crisis, which is being driven by a "surge in patients" with respiratory infections, including Covid-19, flu, and RSV.

Meanwhile, Mercy University Hospital has said that visiting restrictions will continue at the hospital due to a spike in the number of patients presenting at the hospital with flu, Covid and winter vomiting.

Visiting will be allowed on compassionate grounds under prior arrangement with the hospital.

While the ED remains open 24/7, it is regrettable that patients are experiencing significant delays and this situation is being treated as a priority by hospital management. All patients are triaged and treated based on clinical need when they present at the Emergency Department.

Patients with less urgent complaints are advised to contact their GPs, or to avail of services at the Mercy Local Injury Unit, St Mary’s Health Campus in Gurranabraher, which is open from 8am to 6pm