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Sam Boal via RollingNews.ie

Mater Hospital warns of very long waiting times as 90 patients in emergency department

The hospital is warning people to visit their GP before going to its emergency department.

DUBLIN’S MATER HOSPITAL has sent out a statement asking people to attend their GP or an injury clinic before going to the emergency department at the hospital.

It’s reporting very high numbers in the ED and says waiting times are even longer than expected today.

TheJournal.ie understands that there are currently 90 people being processed in the Mater Hospital Emergency Department.

It comes as nurses reported 459 people on trolleys across the country this morning.

The Mater is urging members of the public to go their GP before attending its ED.

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 also added that, “Those attending the emergency department will be managed according to priority, so less urgent cases will experience delays.”

Read: The flu has caused 29 deaths and 835 hospitalisations this winter and will remain for up to four weeks>

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15 Comments
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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 4:13 PM

    Starting charging a certain ammount for medical card holders and you’ll see a drop in attendance ..

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:24 PM

    @Suzie Sunshine: Also possibly more people dying as well….

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    Mute Paul
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 4:00 PM

    Should refuse to see non emergency cases. There is a reason for a 24h call doc

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:19 PM

    That out of hours doctor more often than not will send you to A&E

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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:40 PM

    Which is free only with a doctor’s referral. That’s the whole point, instead of just turning up.

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    Mute Catherine Mc
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:41 PM

    True

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    Mute Darren Bates
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 4:01 PM

    You should be going to your primary care centre for everything that isn’t an emergency. That’s why it’s called primary care.

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    Mute Tom
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 5:12 PM

    Part of the problem is that they close at 6pm, same with the mater rapid injury in Smithfield. Also, Smithfield was a stupid place to put that anyway.

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    Mute McGuckin Annette
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 4:54 PM

    Why is it not possible for the triage nurse to re-direct attendees back to the GP. setting..and the injury clinic only opens from 8-6. Perhaps it should be open 24/7.

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    Mute John B
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:09 PM

    Can’t say for certain but I suspect if you check in to the emergency department then there are probably legal issues surrounding leaving without seeing a doctor (unless voluntarily of course).

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    Mute Holly Cahill
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:43 PM

    That could be dangerous too, leaving such decisions to the triage nurse. I went to a&e a number of years ago with back pain and weakness and the triage nurse thought I’d pulled a muscle, gave me some nurofen and sent me back to the waiting room for 5 hours.. Turned out I had blood clots on both my lungs, only diagnosed after multiple tests!

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:11 PM

    How is the minister still in his job.he should be booted out of politics.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 7:26 PM

    @@mdmak33: Apparently because he and the HSE never expected such numbers to be attending our hospitals during the flu season…….

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    Mute Labhrás Ó Fógartaigh
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    Jan 23rd 2017, 11:36 PM

    Why is there not thousands on the streets over health system in this country…But no we would rather protest over a foreign election results

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    Mute marie loyola
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    Jan 24th 2017, 4:37 PM

    Meanwhile we gave 650 million euro in foreign aid in one year to countries like India who have a space program -https://www.irishaid.ie/what-we-do/how-our-aid-works/where-the-money-goes/ The EU has to go, more precisely us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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