Some procedures postponed at University Hospital Galway

University Hospital Galway has said some elective procedures have been postponed due to pressures at the hospital and the lack of bed capacity.

The hospital said that “urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed”.

The Emergency Department is also extremely busy with people experiencing long wait times.

Attendance at the ED was very high over the weekend, with nearly 400 patients presenting over Saturday and Sunday.

“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.

“As of this morning there are 49 patients on trolleys awaiting admission to in-patient beds,” the hospital said.

It also said that it is committed to treating everyone who presents at the ED, but it is doing so “strictly in order of medical priority”.

People are being asked to only attend the ED at University Hospital Galway if it is an emergency situation.

“We ask that people attend their GP or out of hours service in the first instance if at all possible.

“The Roscommon Injury Unit is also open from 8am to 8pm to treat a range of injuries in both adults and children over five years of age,” the hospital added.