Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Emergency Department at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe is under serious pressure
Hospital management is now appealing to the public to only attend the A&E in the case of a real emergency
In a statement to Galway Bay fm news the Saolta hospital authority says Portiuncula has been very busy this week and unfortunately patients have been experiencing delays being admitted to the hospital.
Hospital management says it regrets the inconvenience and distress that these delays cause patients and their families.
The hospital says it prioritises those in most need of care and this may lead to delays for less urgent patients.
It's asking the public to attend only in the case of real emergencies and to contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance
