New study suggests some patients presenting at Emergency Department in Limerick could be treated elsewhere

A new study has suggested that the vast majority of patients who attend the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick would be better off if they were seen in other settings.

Management have carried out a 'day in the life' style study of the region's Emergency Department, which focussed on one Friday last month, and found that only 17% of people needed acute emergency care.

The other 83% presented with conditions that could have been treated elsewhere, such as in Acute Medical Assessment Units or in a Local Injuries Unit.

Paul Finucane, Chief Academic Officer of the UL Hospitals Group, says they're now working to put those facilities in place