University Hospital Galway postpones surgeries

University Hospital Galway has postponed non-urgent elective procedures due to pressure on its emergency department.

The hospital confirmed on Wednesday that it has implemented its “full capacity” protocol

The Saolta hospital management group said that the hospital’s emergency department was “extremely busy” on Wednesday, with “significant numbers” of patients awaiting hospital admission.

It warned of delays at the hospital and urged members of the public to visit the emergency department “only in the case of real emergencies”.

It advised people needing medical attention to contact their family doctor or an out-of-hours GP service “in the first instance”.

Hospital management said it wished to apologise to all patients and their families for “any distress caused as a result of the delays”.