Tallaght Hospital Has Urged People To Avoid Their Emergency Department Due To High Demand

Tallaght Hospital is urging people to avoid its Adult Emergency Department (ED) if at all possible, due to extremely high demand.

In a statement released this week, the hospital explained that it is currently spread very thin with regards to resources and staff. 

 "Tallaght Hospital has the biggest emergency department in the country (adult and paediatric combined) and has been under sustained pressure over the past number of days due to a 10% increase in overall adult ED attendances with a 22% increase in patients over 75 years of age presenting, compared to the same period last year.

In addition the hospital has a higher than normal number of delayed discharges, which is further reducing available bed capacity. Given the above factors, the hospital is asking the public to avoid making any unnecessary visits to our Emergency Department at this time and to attend their GP in the first instance where appropriate.

ED patients are prioritised according to clinical need, which may result in patients with minor illnesses or injuries experiencing delays."

According to Dublin Live, the hospital also thanked the public for its co-operation during this busy period.

READ NEXT: PICS: This TV Celebrity Was Spotted Drinking Guinness In Mulligans Of Poolbeg Street Last Night