Feature Saving you time be seen and treated quickly

roken bone? Need some sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor the efficient and high quality care they will stitches? Would like to be seen burns that are unlikely to need overnight receive when they attend.” and treated quickly? Well there’s admission. Staff members perform x-rays, Explaining that each Unit is linked to a Hub B a simple solution that you may reduce joint dislocations, apply plaster Emergency Department in an acute hospital, Dr not even know is there – the casts and treat wounds by stitches or other McCarthy added, “If a patient in an Injury Unit HSE’s Injury Units. means. They have swift access to diagnostics needs to be admitted to hospital, they will be As numbers attending the Injury Units - now in including x-ray and laboratory tests and some referred directly to a linked hospital, in exactly several locations around the country – continue have rapid access to physiotherapy services. the same way as if they had attended the Hub to rise, there are many benefits to patients They are staffed by Consultant-led teams of Emergency Department.” accessing the units. doctors, advanced nurse practitioners, nurses, While the Units provide the same level So instead of joining the end of the queue of a radiographers and physiotherapists. Patients of expertise and service as Emergency busy Emergency Department where those with can go directly to the Unit or be referred by a GP. Departments, for the appropriate group more urgent needs will always be seen ahead of “The vast majority of patients get the care of patients, they are not designed to you, the Injury Units are designed and equipped they need at the Injury Unit and the follow-up is treat serious head, back or neck injuries, with less serious injuries that won’t need an exactly the same as if they had been seen in the abdominal (stomach) pain, medical illnesses overnight hospital admission. Emergency Department, with appointments as or mental health problems. They do not treat “People receive the same level of care usual in a fracture clinic at their local hospital, children under the age of five, because of as if they had presented at an Emergency for example,” said Dr McCarthy. the special requirements of young children Department and the average turnaround time Urging the public to think of the Injury Unit in attending hospital, with some having a higher is just one to two hours,” explained Dr Gerry their area when they suffer an injury that they age threshold. McCarthy, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, feel needs hospital attention, Dr McCarthy “We find that patients are pretty good at . stated, “The opportunity for patients to be seen triaging themselves – that is judging how bad At the Injury Unit in Louth County Hospital and treated in an appropriate clinical setting their injury or illness is. If they feel that they in Dundalk, their most recent survey showed with a potential turnaround time in some cases would be treated in the Emergency Department that 88pc of patients were treated within 35 of less than an hour is clearly desirable. We and then discharged soon after, then maybe the minutes of presenting to the unit, with the know that while some of our Units are well Injury Unit is the best place to go,” he said. remaining 12pc of patients seen within an hour. known and used, in other areas, the public may “However, if you feel dizzy or unwell, or At Roscommon Injury Unit, a survey conducted not be quite as aware of the available service. if your injury is to an upper limb, then it is in recent years showed that patients waited “We know from feedback received that more appropriate to go to the Emergency on average of no more than 58 minutes in the patients who use our Injury Units generally Department. centre from registration to discharge. have a very positive experience. But we There are 11 of these Units across the country The Units provide for the treatment of really want to make sure that everyone – St Colmcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown; patients with broken bones, dislocations, knows just what our Injury Units do and Mater Smithfield, Dublin 7; ;

32 | health matters | autumn 2016 Injury Units

St Columcille’s Injury Unit Nenagh Injury Unit, St Columcille’s Hospital, Loughlinstown Tyone, Nenagh, Co Tipperary Telephone: 01-211 5238 , 01-211 5084 Telephone:067-42311 Opening times 8am-6pm Monday-Sunday Opening times: 8am-8pm Monday-Sunday and bank holidays including bank holidays Patient age groups seen 14 years upwards Patient age groups seen: 5 years upwards Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: St Vincent’s Hospital University Hospital Limerick Approximate distance: 11.5km Approximate distance: 45km

Dundalk Injury Unit St John’s Injury Unit Louth County Hospital, Dublin Road, Dundalk St John’s Hospital, Limerick Telephone: 042-9334701 Telephone: 061-462132 Opening times 9am-8pm Monday-Sunday Opening times: 8-6pm Monday-Friday Open on bank holidays (Closed Christmas Day) Open on bank holidays, Closed Christmas Day Patient age groups seen 14 years upwards and New Year’s Day Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Patient age groups seen: 5 years upwards Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Approximate distance: 30km Limerick University Hospital Approximate distance: 5km Mater Smithfield Rapid Injury Clinic The Mercy Injury Unit The Forge, Smithfield, Dublin 7 (Urgent Care Centre) Telephone: 01-8025247, 011-6579000 Gurranabraher, Cork Opening times: 8am-6pm Monday-Friday Telephone: 021-4926900/901 Closed weekend and bank holidays Opening times: 8am-6pm Monday-Sunday Patient age group seen: 16 years upwards including bank holidays, Closed Christmas Day Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Patient age groups seen: 10 years upwards The Mater Hospital, Eccles Street Dublin 7 Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Mercy Hospital, Cork Monaghan Injury Unit Approximate distance: 1km Monaghan Hospital, Hill Street, Monaghan Telephone: 047-38835 Mallow Injury Unit Opening times: 9am- 5pm Monday-Friday, , Co Cork Closed for all bank holidays including Telephone: 022-58506 Christmas Opening times: 8am-8pm Monday-Sunday, Patient age groups seen: 5 years upwards Last patient check in at 7pm. Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Open on bank holidays (Closed Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day) Approximate distance: 46.31km Patient age groups seen: 5 years upwards Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Roscommon Injury Unit Cork University Hospital Roscommon University Hospital, Athlone Road, Approximate distance: 35km Roscommon Telephone: 090-6632212 Bantry Injury Unit Opening times 8am-8pm Monday-Sunday , Bantry, Co Cork including bank holidays Telephone: 027-52929 Patient age groups seen: 5 years upwards Opening times: 8am-8pm Monday-Sunday Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: including bank holidays, last patient check in Roscommon University Hospital; The Mercy, University Hospital Galway at 7pm Gurranbraher, Co Cork; Mallow General Approximate distance: 78km Patient age groups seen: 5 years upwards Hospital; Bantry General Hospital; Louth Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: Cork County Hospital, Dundalk; ; St Ennis Injury Unit University Hospital John’s Hospital, Limerick; . Ennis, Co Clare Approximate distance: 80km Most have been open for many years and have Telephone: 065-6863121 had consistently good feedback and reaction Opening times: 8am- 8pm Monday-Sunday from the clients they treat. including weekends There is no charge for patients with full Patient age groups seen: 5 years upwards medical cards or those patients with valid Nearest/Hub Emergency Department: medical/GP referral letter. For non-medical University Hospital, Limerick. card holders, the same Emergency Department Approximate distance: 42km fee of €100 applies.

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