Overview: A challenging weekend for University Hospital Galway
University Hospital Galway (UHG) is under significant strain as it copes with a combination of surge demand in its Emergency Department (ED) and two active COVID-19 outbreaks on wards. The hospital reported that during the weekend, a total of 420 people visited the ED over Saturday and Sunday. By this morning, 29 patients remained in the ED, and 39 patients were on trolleys either in the ED or awaiting admission to a ward. This situation has led to unprecedented pressure on bed availability and overall hospital throughput.
Why the pressure is mounting
Several factors are converging to create a bottleneck in admissions and discharges. First, the high volume of ED attendances translates into more patients who require admission or observation, which in turn increases demand for ward beds. Second, ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks on two wards reduce the number of beds that are immediately available for other patients, compounding the challenge of patient flow from ED to the wards. When beds are scarce, even patients who are ready for discharge can face delays, and elective care is often postponed to prioritise urgent cases and infection control considerations.
Impact on patients and care pathways
The hospital has warned that anyone seeking non-urgent care should expect longer waiting times and potential delays in admission. All available beds are currently in use, and there is a high number of patients awaiting beds across ED and ward settings. The hospital is actively managing the situation by prioritising discharge planning for those ready to go home, so that beds can be released for patients who require admission at the earliest opportunity.
Discharge as a key strategy
Discharge planning is a critical lever in freeing up bed capacity. The health system is attempting to streamline this process, with staff coordinating closely with patients and families to determine safe and timely discharge timelines. This approach aims to mitigate the risk of bed shortages spilling over into critical care areas or delaying urgent medical care for acute cases.
Impact on elective procedures
In response to the bed pressures and ward outbreaks, some elective procedures are being postponed. Affected patients are being contacted directly by the hospital to inform them of changes to their planned treatment. While postponements are disruptive, they are a common measure in times of hospital-wide strain to ensure that essential urgent care can proceed with the available resources and to protect patients and staff from the risk of infection during an outbreak.
What this means for the coming days
Hospitals, including UHG, face a delicate balance between maintaining essential services and protecting public health during outbreaks. The current situation underscores the importance of community health measures, vaccination uptake, and timely care seeking for genuinely urgent problems to prevent ED crowding. Health authorities and hospital leadership will likely continue to implement surge capacity plans, optimized discharge processes, and targeted infection control measures as they navigate the next several days.
What patients and families can expect
People presenting with non-urgent conditions should prepare for longer waits and consider alternative care options where appropriate, such as primary care clinics, out-of-hours services, or telemedicine consultations. For those needing urgent care, awaiting admission may involve extended ED stays while staff work to clear beds and separate COVID-19 cases from other admissions. Families should stay informed through official hospital updates and follow guidance on visiting and care at home for patients who are discharged.
Conclusion
UHG’s current bed pressures reflect broader strains faced by many health systems during seasonal peaks and infectious outbreaks. While prioritising urgent care and infection control, hospital teams are striving to re-establish normal patient flow by accelerating discharges where safe, limiting elective procedure backlogs where possible, and communicating clearly with patients about expected wait times and care options.
