UL Hospitals Group imposes visitor ban across all six sites
UL Hospitals Group has announced a visiting ban on all six of its sites as a precautionary measure in the interests of patient safety.
The sites affected are University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, St John’s Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, Ennis Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital.
We regret any distress or inconvenience these extraordinary measures will cause to patients and their loved ones. These measures are being taken in order to minimise any spread of infection within our hospital sites.
These measures are in place until further notice and are being reviewed on a daily basis.
The only exceptions to the ban are as follows:
- Parents visiting children in hospital
- Partners of women attending University Maternity Hospital Limerick
- People visiting patients at end-of-life
- People assisting confused patients (e.g. dementia)
- People visiting patients in Critical Care
The above exemptions are limited to one person per patient only.
Please note that the ban on visitors also applies to patients attending the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick and the Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s. We are appealing to members of the public to co-operate with these necessary restrictions.
We are also urging the public to keep the Emergency Department for emergencies only; a place where priority is given to the seriously injured and ill and those whose lives may be at risk. Anyone else should first consider all the care options available to them in them in their own communities, their family doctors, out-of-hours GP services, or ask their local pharmacies for advice.
Local Injury Units (LIUs) at Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals (8am-8pm daily), and St John’s Hospital (8am-6pm, Monday to Friday) are an excellent option for treatment of broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns, without the lengthy wait that can be expected in the ED during busy periods.
HELPLINE NUMBER 1890 300046
Meanwhile, UL Hospitals Group and HSE Mid West Community Healthcare can confirm they are working closely with Public Health colleagues in tracing contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
A new helpline 1890 300046 has been launched today - Friday 06.03.2020 - to provide information and support to the public in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary who are considered a casual contact or close contact of confirmed cases in the Mid West.
The information and advisory team has been established as a local point of contact. The National HSE Live helpline number is 1850 24 1850. All general queries should be directed to the national helpline number.
The people who have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection have been interviewed in depth by the Department of Public Health and their contacts who are at risk of infection have been identified. This is contact tracing. During the contact tracing process people who have been identified as a contact of the case are categorised as either having “close” contact or “casual contact”. These definitions are based on international best practice and reflect how long the person was in contact with the case and the closeness of physical contact. We are in the process of communicating with these close and casual contacts.
People who live in the communities around these cases, who have not been identified as part of this process, are at the same risk of coronavirus infection as other people living in Ireland.
We remain in the containment phase in relation to COVID -19 and as long as this remains the case, it is important that members of the public follow the most up-to-date advice from the HSE. General advice and information on COVID-19 for members of the public is available on www.hse.ie\coronavirus and the vast majority of people in the Mid West can access all the relevant information here.
HSE Mid West Helpline Opening Hours
10am – 5pm Monday 10am – 5pm Tuesday
10am – 5pm Wednesday 10am – 5pm Thursday
10am – 5pm Friday 10am – 5pm Saturday
10am – 5pm Sunday