Emergency update

CHARACTERISED by chaos, the emergency department (ED) is to the patient what the Sin Bin is to the rugby player: the location of an enforced time-out necessary to effect an improved performance.

Some EDs in the public system do little to inspire confidence. Dr Chris Luke, a consultant in emergency medicine, is the first to admit that he has worked in EDs that resemble “hell holes”. Hence his enthusiasm for the relatively new €4.7 million ED at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in Cork city, which he believes represents the “acme of what can be achieved” in terms of layout and technology.

This new department, whose “round-the-clock” status is under review as part of an ongoing reconfiguration of hospital services in the Health Executive South (HSE), showcases some major solutions to the challenges facing emergency medicine. “It’s ergonomically designed to maximise staff efficiency and both patient and staff comfort,” Dr Luke says.