Figures show increasing pressure on Cavan’s ED

An average of 90 people a day attended the Emergency Department at Cavan Hospital last year.

Figures released show 32,805 people attended the ED last year, up by over 4,000 on the year previous.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is clear, with 28,259 people registered as attending in 2020, down 6,115 on the year previous.

The figures, released to local Fianna Fáil TD Niamh Smyth, show the number of people visiting the A&E had been increasing over the previous five years.

A total of 30,578 people attended in 2012, with a low pre-pandemic of 29,200 people in 2014. The figure for 2019 represents the highest point over the period.

Cavan ED has been coming under increasing pressure in recent years, with the closure of the ED at Monaghan Hospital seeing more patients reporting. The Monaghan facility was replaced with a Minor Injuries Unit.

The outdated design and lack of space at Cavan hospital prompted management and the HSE to draw up plans for a new state-of-the-art Emergency Department. Those plans are now with Cavan County Council for consideration.

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