‘Significant’ staff absences due to Covid-19 see services suspended at Nenagh hospital

The hospital group confirmed that the medial assessment unit (MAU) and injuries unit at Nenagh hospital are being closed temporarily and patients are being urged to attend facilities in Ennis or Limerick or contact their GP for referral.

Patients in the Nenagh area requiring medical assessment or treatment for injuries are being diverted to other hospitals in the Midwest region following the temporary curtailment of services, including outpatient appointments, at Nenagh hospital over the weekend.

Services at the Tipperary hospital have been suspended because of a “significant” number of staff absences due to Covid-19, the University of Limerick Hospitals Group confirmed on Saturday evening.

The hospital group confirmed that the medial assessment unit (MAU) and injuries unit at Nenagh hospital are being closed temporarily and patients are being urged to attend facilities in Ennis or Limerick or contact their GP for referral.

Outpatient appointments are also being suspended from Sunday onwards but the hospital group said patients would be contacted to arrange to be seen at another facility.

“UL Hospital Group’s Hospital Crisis Management team this Saturday afternoon moved to temporarily stand-down outpatient clinics at Nenagh Hospital in addition to its injury unit and medical assessment unit to minimise public footfall on the site,” the hospital group said in a statement.

MEDIA STATEMENT: Outpatient activity at Nenagh Hospital temporarily curtailed from tomorrow morning (Sunday), due to numbers of staff on COVID-related leave. Hospital to contact all affected patients. See below for information on Injury and Medical Assessment Units. pic.twitter.com/kTCtzTRNd4

— HSE Mid West (@HSEMidWest) January 30, 2021

“The situation will be kept under review in the coming days, and for now, any outpatients with an appointment will be contacted by the hospital from this afternoon, and offered an alternative appointment elsewhere within the UL hospitals group,” it added.

“Until further notice, people requiring treatment for minor injuries are advised to attend injury units at Ennis Hospital or St John’s and while the hospital’s MAU is closed local GPs or out-of-hours doctors should instead refer appropriate patients to MAUs at Ennis and St John’s,” the statement continued.

“We are sorry for the inconvenience to our local patients. 

"As at all times, we have made this decision in the interests of the safety of our patients and staff, and of people scheduled to attend appointments in the coming days, as well as the broader population in North Tipperary and the Mid-West,” the statement concluded.