Naas General Hospital and HSE Dublin South, Kildare West Wicklow (CHO7)
HSE encouraging the public to keep well: Advice from HSE Public Health for Dublin and Midlands
Prevention is always better than cure. So this winter, the advice from Public Health is to;
- Stay home, and don’t have visitors to your home, if you are unwell.
- Keep your child home from school, childcare and their usual activities if they are unwell.
- To help protect you and your loved ones, make sure your winter vaccinations are up-to-date, including the COVID-19 and flu vaccines.
- Make sure your children’s vaccines are up-to-date. And do remember that the flu vaccine for children is given as a nasal spray – so it’s fast and painless.
- Make sure you have all your medications – just in case the weather is bad and you cannot get to the pharmacy.
- Make sure you are warm at home, well hydrated, with plenty of healthy food.
Common illnesses at this time include winter viruses like flu, COVID-19, the common cold and RSV.
It can be hard to know which virus you have. This is why it is important to stay away from people who are pregnant, elderly or living with an underlying medical condition when you are sick. Even if you don’t feel particularly unwell, what you might experience as a mild illness could cause them to be very sick.
Flu and COVID-19 can be more serious for people who are pregnant, elderly or living with underlying medical conditions. That's why we recommend the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to these groups. It is also important that those who are more likely to get respiratory viruses, such as carers or health care workers, are up to date with their vaccines.
To see what is recommended for you, go to hse.ie or chat to your pharmacist or GP.
Most winter illnesses can be managed at home. Antibiotics do not help viruses. For tips on how to stay well at home while you are recovering from a winter illness go to hse.ie but remember to always seek medical help if your symptoms are worsening or you become concerned.
Protect yourself and your loved ones this winter by following this advice from Fiona McGuire, Public Health Specialist Registrar:
How to stay healthy this winter - advice from Fiona McGuire, Public Health Specialist Registrar:
Know where to go if you need urgent care this Christmas and New Year
As the Christmas and New Year holiday approaches the HSE is encouraging the public to consider all care options before attending Emergency Departments.
Hospitals are reporting record numbers of patients presenting at Emergency Departments for care and treatment, including a sharp increase in the number of patients who are seen and treated in the ED and then discharged without requiring admission to hospital. Many of these patients could have been treated at other healthcare services such as Injury Units, GP and GP Out of Hour services and pharmacies. There is also a very sharp increase of people presenting with viral winter illness with increasing levels of Flu and Covid-19 in circulating in the community.
As always Emergency Departments will continue to see and treat patients who require urgent and emergency treatment first.
Patients who attend EDs for routine and non -urgent treatment are being advised that they will experience very long waiting times.
The HSE regrets this delay and is asking all to help our staff through a challenging time for our services by:
- Considering all healthcare options before attending ED including Injury Units, GP services and pharmacies
- KDOC provides urgent out-of-hours GP care, see below for contact details and Christmas arrangements
- Dialling 999 or 112 for emergency care if there is concern for serious illness or injury
- Maintaining good hand hygiene practices at all times and in particular when attending hospitals
- Following all infection control measures including visiting restrictions in hospitals and hospitals wards
As always if you or someone else is seriously ill or needs urgent emergency care do not delay going to ED or dialling 999/112 for help.
Listen to advice from Dr Tariq Quadri, Consultant Respiratory Medicine, Naas General Hospital on what to do if you have to attend the ED this winter:
Urgent out-of-hours GP care is available when your own surgery closes in the evening. The service is not a walk-in service. It is by appointment only for those who are seriously unwell.
Patients should also remember that GP surgeries will be open as normal on non-bank holiday days. Patients should check the opening times with their own GP.
This year we expect it to be busier than ever and patients may face delays getting through to the service at peak times or waiting for a call back.
KDOC provides urgent out-of-hours GP care for patients of participating practices in counties Kildare and West Wicklow. Patients can contact the service by calling KDOC 045 848 701.
KDOC arrangements for Christmas 2023 are as follows:
- Open from 18.00pm on Fri 22nd Dec to 09.00am on Wednesday 27th Dec.
- Wednesday 27th Dec to Friday 29th Dec evenings will be normal operational hours (18.00pm to 09.00am).
- Open from 18.00pm Fri 29th December to 09.00am Tuesday 2nd January 2024.
On behalf of the Health Services have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Health New Year!
