HSE appointments fully resume on Friday – please only attend if safe to travel

Following review of updated advice from Met Éireann, all HSE appointments scheduled in Cork for Friday, 10^th of January will go ahead.

Appointments scheduled for Friday 10^th January in Cork hospitals (Cork University Hospital, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Mercy University Hospital, the South Infirmary – Victoria University Hospital, Mallow General Hospital and Bantry General Hospital) will go ahead as planned, but we are appealing to patients not to travel unless it is absolutely safe to do so.

Appointments will also go ahead on Friday at community facilities in Cork.

However, if you are unable to attend a hospital or community appointment, please contact the local team and you will be offered a new appointment as soon as possible. You will not lose your appointment, so please stay safe at home if travel is risky.

If you or your family are unwell, there are a number of treatment options open to you depending on your illness – being prepared and knowing where to go will mean that you will get treated more quickly and will ease pressures on the healthcare system.

Know your healthcare options if you need medical treatment:

1. Self care – Have a well-stocked medicine cabinet to help with colds and sore throats
2. Pharmacy – Ask your pharmacist for advice on common minor illnesses
3. GP Surgery – Make an appointment with your GP if you’re feeling unwell
4. Local Injury units – For minor injuries, broken bones and burns, you could visit a local injury unit
5. Out-of-Hours GP – if your GP clinic is closed, call SouthDoc on 0818 355 999
6. ED or 999/112 – For emergencies, please visit your nearest ED

In addition, vaccination for target groups remains available. To see what vaccines are recommended for you: visit hse.ie, call HSELive on 1800 700 700 or talk to a participating GP or pharmacist.

HSE South West Regional Executive Officer Dr Andy Phillips said:

“I would like to sincerely thank our dedicated staff, who have been working hard throughout this period of very difficult weather conditions. It is with thanks to them that we can resume all non-urgent and outpatient services throughout Cork again.

We are also extremely grateful to the Defence Forces, and the community and voluntary services that have stood up and have gone to extraordinary measures to ensure our communities are safe and healthy.

Although our services will resume as normal tomorrow, I must ask that people exercise extreme caution when travelling to their appointments. I don’t want anyone taking risks and travelling in poor conditions. If you can’t attend your appointment, do let us know as soon as you can and we will quickly reschedule it for you. Our absolute priority is to keep you and your family safe.”

He added: 

“Slips and falls in the icy conditions are also a huge concern. People are falling while de-icing the car, letting the dog out, or bringing in shopping. Please take extra care, but if you need non-urgent medical attention, you will be seen faster at a Minor Injury Unit as our Emergency Departments are under severe pressure at the moment. Your GP may also refer you to our Urgent Virtual Care service (UVC), this is a fantastic new service that can help avoid a visit to the Emergency Department. With the UVC, GPs and Paramedics can consult directly by phone or by video call with a senior medical decision maker in Emergency Medicine or Geriatric Medicine”.

See the HSE’s Public Health advice about staying safe during cold weather at https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/environmentandhealth/severeweatherevents/.