The Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise is experiencing increasing numbers of people requiring admission and patients are being asked, where possible, to seek help from other parts of the health service.
Hospital management say they are monitoring the situation closely but said patients presenting at the emergency department, with non-urgent conditions, are experiencing very long waiting times.
Management is asking patients with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance from other parts of the health service including their local pharmacist, GP, GP out-of-hours service, or a local injury unit.
However management said in a statement that any patient who needs emergency hospital care will be seen at Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise and should not delay attending.
