Survey highlights large number of 'avoidable' visits to emergency department at UHL

NEW RESEARCH shows a significant number of visits to emergency departments at hospitals including University Hospital Limerick were avoidable.

The studies, carried out by Empathy Research, reveals that Irish people attended a hospital ED at least once in the past year, with an average wait time of seven hours.

With the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) being the most overcrowded in the country, the recent studies carried out on behalf of Laya Healthcare come as an additional hit to the widely known negatives facing UHL at this time.

Limerick's St John's Hospital to serve patients seeking emergency treatment

One in three people (34%) went to A&E twice in the last twelve months for non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, despite alternative urgent care options being open during the time, such as the Laya health and wellbeing clinic located on the Ennis road in the suburbs of Limerick city.

John McCall, Director of Claims and Provider Relations at Laya Healthcare says: “Our research has identified a clear gap in awareness and understanding around the huge breadth of alternatives to busy ED available in the local community,”

“Over 60,000 patients have been treated in Laya Health & Wellbeing Clinics since we first opened our doors in 2019, with 1 in 4 families with children accessing the service which underlines the significant ease of access and convenience the clinics offer.”

According to findings, 3 in 10 (29%) admit that they have avoided seeking medical treatment due to fear of long delays in their local hospital, with half of those surveyed saying they feel “frightened” by the wait times for urgent care in Ireland. 

The research was carried out online across a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+ in January 2023.