Your guide to urgent care in Kerry this St Patrick's bank holiday weekend

HSE South West is asking people in Kerry to stop and consider where best to get healthcare over the St Patrick's Bank Holiday weekend.

In particular, the public are reminded to consider all their options before travelling the Emergency Department at University Hospital Kerry as it has been very busy in recent weeks.

Care options over the weekend and next week include Mallow Injury Unit, GPs, the SouthDoc GP Out-of-Hours service and pharmacies for useful advice.

Julie O’Neill, HSE South West Manager for Kerry said:

“If you need urgent or emergency healthcare, HSE South West and University Hospital Kerry is always here for you, but we do ask you to consider which healthcare option best meets your needs. Unfortunately, Emergency Departments are usually busier at bank holidays, which means that patients with non-urgent issues may face long waits, as we must attend to critical cases first.

“In an emergency, it’s so important that you do not delay and that you either come to the ED, or dial 999/112. For other care, there are a range of options open to you, close to your home.”

Options for non-emergency healthcare include:

• Self-care – Have a well-stocked medicine cabinet to help with common ailments
• Your local pharmacist: www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/2/pharmacy/
• Your GP (check routine prescriptions ahead of the bank holiday weekend)
• South Doc, the GP Out-of-Hours service on 0818 355 999
• Injury Unit – With shorter wait times, these offer consultant-led care including x-rays, care for fractures, treatment for burns and stitching. The Injury Unit at Mallow is convenient for many parts of Kerry, and is open this weekend from 8am to 8pm, for those aged 10 and over.

With the weather starting to pick up, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) is also reminding members of the public visiting and using amenities such as sports grounds and beaches to park carefully and to allow space for access by the emergency services.