Injury Unit at Limerick hospital closes early due to 'staffing issues'

THE UL Hospitals Group is advising members of the public that the Injury Unit at St John’s Hospital has closed earlier than normal this Saturday.

The unit closed at 5pm and patients with minor injuries are being asked to instead attend the Injury Units at Ennis Hospital and Nenagh Hospital which remain open until 8pm.

"We apologise for any distress or inconvenience caused by this disruption in service, which arises from staffing issues. The Injury Unit at St John’s Hospital will operate as normal tomorrow, Sunday, January 10. Opening hours at St Johns Injury Unit are 8am to 7pm," said a spokesperson for UL Hospitals.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, people presenting to the Emergency Department at UHL have been redirected to Injury Units and this remains the case. We are currently seeing a high number of Covid and non-Covid patients attend ED," he added.

The Injury Unit at St John’s Hospital has had to close early today Saturday January 9th and patients are being asked to instead attend our Injury Units at Ennis (8am to 8pm) and Nenagh (8am to 8pm) hospitals.

— UL Hospitals (@ULHospitals) January 9, 2021

As an alternative to attending ED, members of the public are being urged to first consider the care options that are available in their own communities, including family doctors, out-of-hours GP services, and local pharmacies.

The Local Injury Units at St John's, Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals are an excellent option for treatment of broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns, without a lengthy wait that can be expected in the Emergency Department at UHL.