Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Taoiseach is being urged to back the provision of a minor injuries unit at Merlin Park Hospital to relieve the pressure on UHG.
The matter has been raised during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil this afternoon by Galway West TD Noel Grealish.
He's told the Dáil that a minor injuries unit based at Merlin Park could radically cut waiting times for patients, and greatly relieve pressure on the Emergency Department at UHG.
Statistics for the Emergency Department at UHG show that only around a quarter of the people who present themselves at the ED end up being admitted to hospital for further treatment or examination.
Addressing the Taoiseach this afternoon, Deputy Grealish described the current pressures facing Galway's public hospital service.
In response, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the government has no current plans to provide a minor injuries unit in Galway - but admitted it would go some way to alleviating the overcrowding crisis.
