Disruptions to hospital and community services

Updated Statement HSE Mid West

(LIMERICK 06.01.2025): DISRUPTIONS to hospital and community services across the HSE Mid West are expected for the remainder of this week due to hazardous travelling conditions arising from the freezing weather.

A small number of hospital procedures were deferred this Monday, January 6th, at Nenagh Hospital and University Maternity Hospital Limerick. A number of outpatient appointments at Ennis Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital were also deferred while clinics for service users across the community, including in disabilities and older persons services, have also been affected.

HSE Mid West reiterates its advice that patients should only attend their appointments if they have phoned ahead to confirm it is taking place and that it is safe for them to travel. If patients are unable to make contact with the clinic, HSE staff will contact them directly. All cancelled appointments will be rescheduled over the coming days. Services are currently being reviewed on a daily basis.

Freezing weather conditions are affecting both acute and community services. Provisions are in place to ensure patients living in remote areas can attend hospital for time-critical appointments (e.g dialysis).

Across community settings, all efforts are being made to provide as full a service as possible in terms of home support, community nursing etc.

If you are unwell you should consider all available healthcare options, including local pharmacies, your GP, or the out-of-hours GP service. Many GP practices in the Mid West are offering extended opening hours. Please contact your GP to check availability and services near you.

We encourage people to take extreme care as they go out and about to prevent slips, trips and falls. Injury Units are open in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals from 8am to 8pm, every day. Injury Units can treat broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns.

Medical Assessment Units located in Ennis and Nenagh Hospital have recently expanded their operations to 16 hours a day, 8am to 12 midnight, seven days a week. They provide a direct referral pathway for GPs to secure prompt assessment and treatment of medical patients.

Patients who attend our Injury Units and MAUs have considerably shorter turnaround times compared to patients who attend our ED.

The Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick remains open 24-7 for patients with the most serious illnesses and injuries, including life-threatening emergencies. Anyone attending the ED with a less urgent condition may face long waiting times as the hospital continues to manage high attendances.

Patients seeking to access services in the community may also face delays due to the current challenges with access and high levels of illness.

With flu continuing to circulate at high levels, face masks are now mandatory in University Hospital Limerick (UHL). Everyone attending or visiting UHL is asked to wear a face mask for the duration of their stay and these are widely available throughout the hospital.

In all other acute hospitals in our region (Ennis, Nenagh, St John’s and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital) and all residential facilities we are urging visitors to please wear a face mask to protect themselves, our patients and staff from the risk of infection. Please be vigilant and wash your hands and use hand gel regularly.

Sandra Broderick, Regional Executive Officer, HSE Mid West, commented: “The current prolonged spell of harsh weather is placing additional demands on our health services at a time when we are already facing a surge in influenza and other respiratory illnesses. I am appealing to members of the public to look out for one another, in particular older relatives and neighbours, over the coming days and to familiarise themselves with the various options for accessing care.

"We apologise to any patient who has been affected by deferrals in care arising from the current travelling conditions. We continue to provide unscheduled and scheduled care for urgent and time-critical patients and I would like to pay tribute to all the healthcare workers for their commitment at this time. I also wish to thank voluntary partners such as the Civil Defence, Order of Malta and Irish Red Cross for assisting in the transport of essential personnel to maintain services for those with the highest care needs.”