The HSE is appealing to us to consider all care options if sick this weekend.
You’re asked to plan ahead where possible and at the very least to be aware of the various avenues open to you as the winter months have been hard on hospitals, including St Luke’s General for Carlow and Kilkenny, with continued high levels of presentations at emergency departments and sustained demand for inpatient care.
Of course you can still attend your local ED if necessary but you may get what you need over the coming holiday days from a pharmacy or an out-of-hours GP service which in our locality is CareDoc.
Regional Clinical Director for HSE Dublin and South East Dr Vida Hamiliton says; “We have seen significant pressure on our hospitals in HSE Dublin and South East over the winter months, with high numbers of patients requiring care across emergency, medical and surgical services. Our staff continue to work exceptionally hard to meet this demand and ensure patients who need urgent and emergency care, get the care they need.
“Our emergency departments tend to busier at bank holiday weekends than at other times of the year. We are asking people to choose the right care in the right place over the Bank Holiday. This helps to ensure that emergency departments can focus on those who are most unwell.
“We continue to monitor service pressures closely and are working to support patient flow, including timely discharge planning and the use of community supports where appropriate.”
HSE National Ambulance Service (NAS) has advised that Bank Holiday weekends also see an increase in call outs and are urging the public to consider all care pathways in advance of contacting them. Please dial 112 or 999 for emergency care if there is concern for serious illness or injury.
