Letterkenny General now accepting medical patients this morning

Letterkenny General Hospital are now this morning accepting new medical patients.
It had emerged yesterday that the hosipal where not accepting new medical patients as there was a shortage of medical registrars at the hospital.
While the restrictions have now been lifted, hospital management are again asking people to only attend the emergency department if absolutley necessary.
And management would ask people to refer to their GP in the first instance.
Management at Letterkenny General released this statement this morning:
”
For a period of 7.5 hours yesterday (Monday 04 August from 13.00 to 20.30), the ambulance service was asked to bypass Letterkenny General Hospital and bring medically stable patients to Sligo Regional Hospital. Medically unstable patients, walk-in patients, paediatric and orthopaedic patients were not affected and these patients were all seen at Letterkenny General Hospital.
 
Local GPs were also asked to refer medically stable patients to Sligo Regional Hospital from 09.00 August 4 to 09.00 August 5.
 
The hospital had to take this step in the interests of patient safety as it was not possible to have the required level of NCHDs in the hospital to cover the day shift yesterday, Monday August 4.
 
We regret any inconvenience caused to patients and their families.
 
Normal service has been restored.
 
However, the members of the public are reminded to keep the Emergency Department for emergencies and to contact their GP or GP Out of Hours services in the first instance.
 
We would like to thank the public and our GPs, the ambulance service and our colleagues in Sligo Regional hospital for their cooperation.”