University Hospital Limerick issued a complete visitor ban on Monday due to multiple outbreaks of Covid-19 and flu, a spokesman for the hospital said.
The hospital also confirmed that people attending its emergency department (ED) were experiencing "long waits for non-urgent care" due to patient overcrowding.
There were 84 patients on trolleys in the ED and on wards today, making it the most overcrowded hospital in the country.
The UL Hospitals Group said it regretted to announce a ban on inpatient visitors “for the next number of days, while the hospital manages multiple outbreaks of Covid-19 and influenza across the site”.
“Seven wards are currently affected, and on the recommendation of our outbreak teams the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure in the interests of patient and staff safety, and we apologise to all patients and their loved ones who will be impacted,” it added.
“All appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the risk of spreading infection among staff and patients in the hospital, and also within the wider community. The situation is being monitored and reviewed daily, and we will relax the restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Exempted visits - limited to one person per patient - included parents visiting children; people assisting confused patients (eg dementia); and people visiting patients who are critically unwell or at end of life.
The hospital group was also asking people “not to visit inpatient relatives or loved ones outdoors in the grounds of the hospital, as this can also present infection transmission risks”.
Emergency department
A hospital spokesman said it was “continuing to experience exceptionally high attendances at its emergency department, with daily attendances across the past week averaging approximately 232 patients”.
“These patients are presenting with more severe and complex illnesses than heretofore, and a higher proportion of admitted patients are requiring longer stays for treatment and recovery,” he said.
“We continue to work our escalation plan in managing this continued surge in demand for emergency care, but long waits for non-urgent care in the emergency department are inevitable.”
The spokesman asked that patients seeking “non-urgent care, should consider all available care options, including family doctors, local pharmacies and out-of-hours GP services” rather than the hospital’s consistently overcrowded emergency department.
“Injury units in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals are open 8am-8pm, and in St John’s 8am-7pm, seven days a week. These units are for the treatment of broken bones, dislocations, sprains strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns," he said.
“However, please note that if you are seriously injured or ill or are worried your life is at risk, the ED will assess and treat you as a priority.”
