Overcrowding causing problems at Portiuncula

The Emergency Department at Portiuncula Hospital is under severe pressure today as a result of overcrowding.
Hospital management says the facility is extremely busy, and as a result, 20 patients are on trolleys awaiting admission.
The INMO has said that double figures pose a major problem at the hospital due to a serious lack of capacity.
Due to an increased level of activity over the past week, patients are experiencing significant delays in being transferred from the Emergency Department to a bed.
The Full Capacity Protocol has been implemented and efforts continue to identify patients who are suitable for discharge.
Patients are being urged to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies – and contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.