Urgent Care Centre

About

The Urgent Care Centre was opened on 23 September 2013. It is a conversion of our A&E Department into a Local Injury Unit and a Medical Assessment Unit. Admission to the hospital can now only be gained on a “scheduled” basis whereby patients must first be either seen and referred by their GP to the Medical Assessment Unit, admitted via the University Hospital Limerick, or directly by our own surgeons and physicians. No medical emergencies or “un-scheduled care” can be admitted directly but instead are re-directed to UHL.

Medical Assessment Unit

The Medical Assessment Unit treats patients referred by their GP or out of hours GP service.  A wide variety of medical complaints are seen in the Medical Assessment Unit.  Patients attending the MAU will be reviewed by a senior clinician and may require x-rays, blood tests, scans or further diagnostic imaging.  

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 8am to 8pm

Internal Directions: Enter the main entrance of the hospital, take a right under the stone archway and enter the Urgent Care Centre. 

Available to: all patients referred by their GP or out of hours GP service. 

Referral information: Referral letter

Service User(s)

• Referred by self

Referral criteria

• Referred by self
• Referral criteria Suspected broken bones
• All sprains and strains
• Wounds, bites, cuts, grazes and scalp lacerations including minor facial injuries, oral,
• dental and nasal injuries
• Minor scalds and burns
• Small abscesses and boils
• Splinters and fish hooks
• Foreign bodies in eyes/ears/nose
• Minor head injury (fully conscious patients) who did NOT experience loss of
• consciousness or have more than one episode of vomiting after the head injury

No

• ALL CHILDREN UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE
• Conditions due to medical illness (Chest pain/Respiratory conditions will be seen in the
• Medical Assessment Unit)
• Serious head injuries
• Abdominal pain
• Gynaecological problems
• Neck/back pain
• Pregnancy related problems
• Pelvis or hip fractures
• Injuries due to self-harm
• Suspected serious injury or inability to walk following a fall from a height or a motor vehicle collision. Patients with neck pain or back injury that started on the day of injury should attend an ED rather than a Local Injury Unit
• Injury causing chest pain, abdominal pain or shortness of breath

Hospital charges

LIU Charge – €100.00

Exemptions to Charges

• Patients who have been referred by their GP and have a referral letter
• Patients who have medical card
• Members of the Defense Forces

Service User(s)

• Referred by GP

Referral criteria

Patients who are unstable are not suitable for referral for assessment and/or admission to St. John’s.

All patients must fall into one of the following clinical categories. Patients not on this list must not be referred to MAU. The specific criteria for each condition are outlined below. Clinical judgement and discretion will remain essential in all cases.

• Uncomplicated TIA
• Suspected DVT
• Syncope with full recovery/falls
• New onset of A Fib or irregular pulse
• New onset seizures
• Acute confusion (may need discussion with senior decision maker)
• Low risk Chest pain (now pain free, no history of ischemic heart disease, existing heart
• murmurs, normal ECG)
• Non Acute Headache
• COPD/CCF/Asthma
• Diabetic – new onset/uncontrolled (no evidence of diabetic ketoacidosis or diabetic
• coma)
• Persistent chest infection/UTI without sepsis
• C2H5OH Detox
• Diarrhoea/Vomiting
• Loss of independent living
• Anaemia
• Cellulitis
• Dyspnoea of uncertain cause
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Other cases may be considered following discussion with the Consultant on call.
• Vital signs must be in the following ranges:
  • Systolic blood pressure >90, <200
  • Heart rate >40, <120/min
  • Respiratory rate <24/min
  • Pulse oximetry (room air) >90%
  • Temperature >35

Vitals will be taken in conjunction with the clinical picture

Categories not suitable for referral

• Obstetrics
• Haematology
• Oncology patients