Updated 9.13pm
ALL NON-URGENT elective surgeries due to take place today at Cork University University Hospital have been cancelled.
A number of non-urgent procedures at Dublin’s Mater Hospital have also been postponed, and this evening a spokesperson for Beaumont Hospital said all non-urgent procedures due to place tomorrow have been cancelled.
“Patients are being notified and appointments are being rescheduled,” they said.
Cork University Hospital said it took the decision yesterday because of overcrowding in its emergency department.
Over 1,700 patients were presented to the department from 11-19 January, it said, of which almost 892 patients required inpatient admission.
“Due to this increased level of activity and subsequent admissions, it is regrettable that some patients have experienced a delay in the ED,” the hospital said in a statement.
We want to reassure members of the public that we are addressing this issue as a priority and every effort is being made to minimise delays.
High patient numbers
The hospital said the increase in attendance is due to the large number of very ill medical patients requiring admission and the recent weather conditions, which resulted in a spike in the number of injuries sustained as a result of falls, as well as an increased number of patients with respiratory/flu-like symptoms.
Affected patients have been advised that their appointments will be rescheduled “as soon as possible”.
Hospital management have asked that people contact their GP before attending the emergency department if their needs are not urgent.
Meanwhile, the Mater Hospital in Dublin released a statement saying its emergency department is continuing to experience very high numbers and protracted waiting times.
This has resulted in a number of non-urgent elective procedures being postponed, it said.
“We are asking the public, where possible, to attend their GP in the first instance, or the Rapid Injury Clinic in Smithfield for minor injuries,” the hospital said in a statement.
Additional reporting by Aoife Barry and Nicky Ryan
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