AN EXTENSION of opening hours at St John’s Hospital Injury Unit will see more patients treated later into the evening.
From Monday, 4th November, the Injury Unit in the heart of Limerick city is open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week. This is in line with the opening hours of the region’s other Injury Units at Ennis and Nenagh and with the recommendations of a national review on Injury Units completed by the HSE in 2023.
St John’s is the busiest of the three Injury Units in HSE Mid West, with 17,583 patients having attended in 2023. Activity at the Injury Unit has grown by a further 13% so far this year.
More than one in three patients attending acute hospitals in the Mid West for unscheduled care now do so at our Injury Units.
Injury Units treat minor and non-life threatening injuries that are unlikely to need a hospital stay. Patients aged five years and older can get safe, expert help quickly in an Injury Unit and avoid long waits in an Emergency Department.
Common minor injuries include:
- broken bones (collarbone to fingertips or knees to toes)
- sprains and strains
- dislocations
- minor burns and wounds
Patients do not need an appointment and the service is free to people referred there by a GP and to medical card holders.
People with injuries that are life-threatening, particularly anything to do with the back, chest, neck or head, should still go to the Emergency Department at UHL for treatment.
Dr Joe Kelly, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Limerick, said: “Injury Unit staff take x-rays, apply plaster casts and treat wounds by stitches or other means. They can refer patients to specialist care and arrange follow-up appointments where necessary. Most people who attend an Injury Unit are treated and home in under two hours, and most have excellent outcomes.”
Emer Martin, CEO, St John’s Hospital said: “The Injury Unit at St John’s Hospital has been providing high quality care, access to diagnostics and follow-on care pathways since 2013. Over that time, we have seen our patient experience times come down even as activity has increased significantly. Feedback for our Injury Unit is very positive and I know this extension in opening hours will be greatly appreciated by our patients. I want to thank all our staff and other stakeholders for their commitment in making this service expansion possible.”
Last updated on: 07 / 11 / 2024
