A Clinical Nursing Specialist at the region’s main hospital is appealing to patients undergoing active cancer treatment in the Midwest to avail of a new dedicated phone service.
The service was established by the National Cancer Care Programme following the Covid-19 pandemic and allows patients to be triaged over the phone by acute oncology nurses and potentially avoid lengthy delays at emergency departments.
Since May of 2022, the University Hospital Limerick service has handled over 2,000 calls, with just 12% of patients requiring admission to ED.
Susan Nagle, who is one of two clinical nursing specialists operating the service at UHL, says the resource ensures the most vulnerable patients can remain at home.
You can listen to the full interview below.
