Kildare people advised to avoid Naas A&E over bank holiday weekend

Ahead of the August Bank Holiday weekend, HSE services are advising Kildare people to avoid Naas A&E over bank holiday weekend.

HSE services in the Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow want to remind the public of their treatment options before attending the Emergency Department (ED) at the hospital.

There are a range of care pathways available to patients who do not need emergency care including:

• Visit your pharmacy for advice on common minor illnesses. Find out more here HERE.
• Make an appointment with your GP if you’re feeling unwell and it is not an emergency.
• If you urgently need to see a GP outside of normal hours, contact your local GP Out of Hours service, details below:

Out of Hours Urgent GP Services:

KDOC operates an appointment only service for urgent medical needs. The out of hours centres are located in Naas and Celbridge.

Opening hours are Monday to Friday – 17:30 – 8:00am and Weekends & Bank Holidays –open 24 hours a day. Call:045-848-701 to book an appointment or go to www.kdoc.ie for more information.

An Injury Unit can treat a wide range of injuries such as broken bones, dislocations, sprains and strains, minor burns and scalds for all patients.

All units have access to x-ray and basic diagnostic services. For more information see www.hse.ie/injuryunits.

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Naas Hospital Injury Unit:

Vista Primary Care Centre, Ballymore Eustace Road, Naas, Kildare, W91 X38W.

Monday to Sunday 10am to 8pm. Service Available To: Age 16 and older.

Emergency Departments treat seriously ill patients. Visit an ED or call 999 or 112 if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk. Those with less severe injuries and symptoms may have to wait to be seen in Emergency Departments

Kieran McDonald General Manager at Naas General Hospital stated: "While we are preparing for a busy Bank Holiday period in the hospital, we ask everyone to consider all options before going to ED. Those who believe they may be seriously ill and require emergency care should of course come to hospital, but we would urge others to consider seeking support from pharmacists, GPs, GP out-of-hours services and injury units.

"While some patients may regrettably experience long wait times in our emergency departments, urgent patients will always be prioritised for treatment and care."

Patients who present at the Emergency Department in Naas General Hospital with non-urgent conditions may experience long wait times to be seen. Any patient who needs emergency hospital care will be seen and we would urge such patients not to delay attending the ED. Do not delay in seeking medical attention if you suspect you are having a heart attack or stroke, please dial 999 or 112 in an emergency.

Plan ahead and make sure you have enough of any medications you might need over the bank holiday, both over the counter and prescription medicines.

Information on how to manage common illness and advice on when to get emergency help is also available at https://www2.hse.ie/living-well/ and https://www2.hse.ie/my-child/ in relation to children.