Rise in covid-19 cases sees surge in presentations to CUH emergency department
Cork University Hospital (CUH) reported exceptionally high patient attendances earlier this week.
A rise in covid-19 cases has contributed to a near-30% seasonal surge in presentations at one of Ireland’s busiest emergency departments (EDs).
It comes as Cork University Hospital (CUH) continues to try to ease the pressure on its ED, which reported exceptionally high patient attendances earlier this week.
The has established that there were 585 attendances at its ED from July 27 to July 29 in 2024. However, the presentation figure surged to 761 for the same period this year, with an additional 176 people attending its ED between Sunday and Tuesday of this week, compared to the same period last year.
“It remains difficult to pinpoint the exact drivers of these elevated self-presenting numbers,” a spokesperson for the hospital said.
“However, contributing factors include a rise in the number of people with covid-19 presenting to the ED, and an increase in the number of patients aged over 75 needing admission.
“Today’s position shows some improvement, but demand is still above our operational targets.”
That 30% increase in ED presentations earlier this week compared to the same period last year prompted hospital chiefs to issue a public appeal on Tuesday for people to consider all care options — including GPs, pharmacists, and SouthDoc out-of-hours services — before presenting at the ED.
There were reports of long waits for certain categories of patients in the ED, with an increase in the number of trolleys in the hospital’s ED also reported by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) from 40 people on trolleys in the ED on Monday, to 52 on Tuesday, 40 on Wednesday, and 36 on Thursday.
"We thank the public for taking note of our request that they consider all care options before attending the ED,” the CUH spokesperson said.
“Their considered use of GPs, pharmacists, and the SouthDoc out-of-hours service is helping us to protect access to emergency care for those who need it most.
“We are working with hospital teams to understand the root causes of these trends and to implement measures that will alleviate pressure on the system.”
CUH’s chief executive officer, Jennifer Kearney, said given the surge in presentations, it is vital that the hospital reserves its resources for patients with the most critical needs.
Patients arriving at the ED are clinically assessed and seen in order of priority, which means those with non-urgent medical needs face a long wait.
GPs can now also access a new regional telehealth service, Urgent Virtual Care, which allows them and paramedics to consult directly by phone, or by video call, with a senior medical decision-maker in emergency medicine or geriatric medicine, who can advise someone if they need to attend the ED.
