Patients asked to consider other options before coming to ‘very busy’ emergency department

THE EMERGENCY department at Portiuncula University Hospital has been noted to be ‘very busy’.

The hospital is today advising that patients attending for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times. 

As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend different emergency departments where they will be prioritised.

The high number of people attending who need to be admitted for ongoing treatment means that there is pressure on bed availability. 

This is resulting in significant delays being experienced by patients in the emergency department who are waiting for a bed to become available on a ward. 

There are currently a very high number of patients on trolleys in the emergency department awaiting admission to in-patient beds while the hospital notes that all available beds are currently in use. 

Every effort is being made to discharge patients who are ready to go home so that beds will become available for patients who need to be admitted, at the earliest opportunity.

The hospital acknowledges that these delays and postponements are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.

The hospital is committed to treating everyone who presents at the emergency department, people who are seriously injured or ill are assessed and treated as a priority and those who do not require urgent care may be waiting longer.

The hospital continues to request that people only attend the emergency department at the hospital if it is an emergency situation. 

They urge people to attend their GP or out of hours service in the first instance if at all possible.