Midlands Hospital Patients Waiting In Ambulances For Four Hours

As many as seven ambulances were queuing outside the facility.

Ambulances were waiting for up to four hours to offload patients in Mullingar Hospital earlier this week.

On Monday, as many as 7 ambulances were queuing outside the Emergency Department.

Westmeath councillor, Hazel Smyth says there needs to be "serious action" to ensure this doesn't happen again.

The Green Party rep says she would hate to see her loved ones waiting so long in an ambulance or on a trolley:

The HSE says immediate measures were put in place to deal with an exceptionally busy midlands emergency department earlier this week.

Patients were waiting on-board ambulances for up to four hours on Monday, waiting to be offloaded to Mullingar Regional Hospital.

As many as seven ambulances were queued outside during this period.

The Health Service says the facility received an 'unusually high number of patients,' at the time, but additional space to assess people was opened and extra staff were deployed to assist.

Hospital management were also working closely with the National Ambulance Service.

In a statement to Midlands 103, the HSE says:

"Regional Hospital Mullingar experienced an exceptionally busy period during the afternoon and evening of Monday 17th April 2023.  Unusually high numbers of patients attended the Hospital's Emergency Department (ED) during this timeframe.  Immediate measures were implemented included opening of additional space for the assessment of patients and additional staff from other areas were deployed to provide assistance.   
 
During this period hospital management were in close liaison with the National Ambulance Service Control. 
 
The Hospital was also busy on Tuesday. If you require emergency care, please contact 999/112 or attend the ED in Regional Hospital Mullingar.   
 
We would like to remind the public that, patients who are over 16 years with the following injuries may wish to present to the Regional Hospital Mullingar Minor Injury Unit located at Charter Medical Private Hospital in Ballinderry, Mullingar:  
  
"    Suspected broken bones to arm (from collar bone to fingertip)  
"    Suspected broken bones in legs (from knees to toes)  
"    Sprains and strains  
"    Wounds, bites (animal or insect) cuts, grazes and scalp laceration  
"    Minor burns and scalds  
"    Foreign bodies  
"    Minor chest injuries