Normal service is set to resume at the emergency department at UHG this morning, following yesterday's meltdown in which 40 patients were forced to wait on trolleys.

Yesterday morning, the overcrowded A&E issued an appeal to people not to attend the department unless they urgently required attention, as immense pressure was put on staff and resources. Over 40 people were left lying on trolleys around the crowded facility as staff frantically tried to free up the backlog of patients.

However, by late afternoon the area had quietened down and it was expected that all patients requiring admission would be appropriately accommodation by the evening.

According to a HSE spokesperson, the increase in patients is due to the growth in "range and complexity of treatment provided".

"A medical assessment unit at UHG is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of this year. It will facilitate the examination and treatment of medical emergency patients who present at the hospital. These patients will then be able to go directly to the medical assessment unit, bypassing the Emergency Department," a spokesperson said.

"As the range and complexity of treatment provided at the hospital develops and grows, it leads to an increase in attendances at Emergency Department. For example, radiotherapy and cardiothoracic surgery is now provided at the hospital, while there have been further advances in oncology treatment, plastic surgery and maxillo-facial surgery. Last year there were 61,636 ED attendances at UHG, of which 15,034 required admission, the remaining 46,602 were treated and discharged from the ED."

The crisis comes just a week after UHG was named as one of the worst A&E departments in the country in a patient survey by irishhealth.com.

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