Long Waiting Times For Non-Urgent Cases As Naas General Hospital Grapples With Flu And COVID-19 Influx, Prompting Additional Bed Openings

Thursday, 4 January 2024 08:29

By Martin Osborne

Patients presenting at the ED with non-urgent conditions are experiencing very long waiting times to be seen.

With flu cases expected to peak in the coming days, Naas General hospital has opened additional beds to cope with extra demand.

It says it's experiencing "a very busy period" with a significantly increased number of people requiring admission to the Hospital with increasing levels of flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses in circulation.

Patients presenting at the ED with non-urgent conditions are experiencing very long waiting times to be seen.

Management have advised patients with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance from other parts of the health service.

According to Dr Colm Henry, HSE Chief Clinical Officer, “Rates of COVID and flu are rising now and over next few weeks, which will put significant pressure on hospitals and Residential Care Facilities in the short term."

He added: "Our Emergency Departments are expected to encounter significant pressures as a result and we know from experience that a delayed peak in flu season such as we are seeing now, will inevitably lead to further pressures throughout the healthcare system with heightened risk of outbreaks in all facilities and delays discharging patients to nursing homes or step down facilities if they have flu or COVID."

Dr Éamonn O’Moore, Director of National Health Protection, explained: “We are now seeing a sustained rise in the levels of infection with both COVID-19 and seasonal flu, including among people attending emergency departments and being admitted to hospitals. The new JN.1 variant of COVID is fast becoming the dominant strain. This variant may be more transmissible than previous variants, resulting in more infections."