Naas General Hospital and the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group (DMHG) and HSE Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow Community Healthcare (DSKWWCH) are today announcing the opening of Naas Hospital Injury Unit located in Vista Primary Care, Naas and operated by Affidea. The pilot project for a new injury unit is funded from the HSE winter plan.
The service will be accepting patients from Monday, 29 January for an initial 6-week period. People from Kildare and West Wicklow from the age of 16 and over will now be able to attend the unit 7 days a week: Monday to Sunday from 10am – 8pm (Including bank holidays)
Patients can walk-in to this public service for a fee of €75, which is less than the €100.00 fee charged if they were to attend an Emergency Department. There is no charge for patients who have Medical Card or who have a referral letter from their General Practice, KDoc or from the ED. Waiting times for patients who attend Injury Units are significantly less than those who may have to wait in busy Emergency Departments while more acutely ill patients are triaged as a priority. The average time to be seen and discharged in an Injury Unit is under two hours.
Patients who experience an injury and who should attend an Injury Unit are as follows:
- Broken bones, sprains and strains, from knees to toes
- Broken bones, sprains and strains, from collarbone to fingertips
- Minor facial injuries (including oral, dental and nasal injuries)
- Minor scalds and burns
- Wounds, bites, cuts, grazes and scalp lacerations (cuts)
- Small abscesses and boils
- Splinters and fish hooks
- Objects stuck in eyes, ears or nose
- Minor head injuries (Fully conscious patients, who did not have a loss of consciousness or vomit after the head injury.)
The Naas Hospital Injury Unit also provides full imaging and x-ray facilities in order for patients to be fully diagnosed and treated onsite.
Kieran McDonald, Hospital Manager Naas General Hospital said, “We are delighted with this pilot service development and extension to our hospital services and more importantly for our patients presenting with minor injuries who previously found themselves waiting for longer periods of time in the Emergency Department. The new Injury Unit is a walk-in service with no referral necessary and full diagnostics are available on site. The development of an Injury Unit will also benefit our excellent and committed Emergency Department staff who continue to provide a valued emergency service to our patients,” added Mr McDonald.
Brian Kearney, Head of Primary Care HSE Dublin South Kildare West Wicklow Community Healthcare (DSKWWCH) commented, “We are delighted to work with the team in Naas Hospital to develop a new care pathway for patients across Kildare and West Wicklow. We know that Injury Units significantly ease pressures on a hospital’s Emergency Department. The opening of this new Injury Unit in Naas means that patients will receive the right care at the right place, at the right time. It will work to support the existing and extensive general practice services in Naas and the surrounding area meaning that GPs will have an additional referral pathway for their patients which will provide care faster than if they were to attend a busy emergency department.”
Barry Downes, CEO of Affidea stated “Affidea have worked closely with the HSE for many years on both local and national initiatives. We are delighted to be able to collaborate with the HSE once again on this new service. Patients presenting to the Naas Hospital Injury Unit will be seen within 1 hour, which avoids excessive waiting time in the ED and, most importantly, allows the Naas Hospital ED teams to concentrate on more acutely unwell and critically ill patients.”
