UHK appeals to the public not to attend the Emergency Department unless urgent care is needed

UHK appeals to the public not to attend the Emergency Department unless urgent care is needed

The Emergency Department (ED) at University Hospital Kerry (UHK) is exceptionally busy and should be only used when urgent critical care is required.

The ED is experiencing far higher attendances than normal and UHK is appealing to the public not to attend unless you need emergency care. Those with non urgent needs are asked to seek support from pharmacists, GPs, SouthDoc, or the Injury Units in Mallow or Bantry, to help ensure emergency services remain available for those who need them most.

Damien Moyles, Operations Manager at UHK said:

"If you have a genuine emergency, please come to the ED immediately and our hard-working team will take excellent care of you. However, we are experiencing a surge in patient presentations and must take in the sickest people first. Everyone arriving to the ED is clinically assessed and seen in order of priority. Anyone with a less serious condition will face a lengthy wait and should review all other options.

He added: “The public can help the hospital team by considering other health services, such as GPs, SouthDoc, pharmacists, and injury units. Injury Units often have shorter waiting times and provide consultant-led assessment and treatment, including X-rays, fracture treatment, burns treatment, and wound care. The injury units in Mallow, Bantry and even Cork city are as easily accessible to some Kerry residents as UHK.”

The Injury Units at Bantry and Mallow are open from 8am to 8pm for patients aged 10 years and over. For full details, visit hse.ie/injuryunits