Increasing numbers of patients putting local hospital under pressure

The Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore has this morning encouraged patients with non-emergency conditions to avail of assistance from other parts of the health service.

The hospital said it is experiencing increasing numbers of people requiring admission at this time. It said it opened additional beds to cope with this extra demand on capacity and resources at this time.

"Where possible, the management at Tullamore Hospital is asking patients with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance from other parts of the health service such as their local Pharmacist, GP, GP out of hours service, or a local injury unit," a statement from the hospital said.

You can visit http://www.hse.ie/injuryunits to find your nearest injury unit and their opening hours. If you require urgent medical attention out of hours, you can visit https://www2.hse.ie/services/find-a-gp-out-of-hours/

It added: "Unfortunately, patients who are presenting at the ED with non-urgent conditions are experiencing very long waiting times to be seen."

Any patient who needs emergency hospital care will be seen and Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore would urge such patients not to delay attending the ED. Do not delay in seeking medical attention if you suspect you are having a heart attack or stroke, please dial 999 or 112 in an emergency.

The Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore apologised for any inconvenience caused and thanked the public for their support and understanding.