WEST Cork’s out-of-hours GP service is doubling doctor numbers for the next five weekends amid fears that rising flu levels over Christmas could see health services
overwhelmed.

The number of calls to Southdoc, which serves Cork and Kerry, over the past fortnight was 15% higher than the same period last year as rising influenza cases place hospital emergency departments under pressure.

Some Cork hospitals have implemented visitor restrictions and tighter emergency department rules in recent days as the Irish Medical Organisation warned that flu has hit ‘fast and hard’ and will put huge strain on an already creaking public health system.

Mercy University Hospital earlier this week introduced temporary visitor restrictions with just one visitor per patient during visiting times, with surgical masks mandatory for all visitors.

In a statement it said the decision was made ‘on the advice of the hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control team… to safeguard the health and well-being of patients and staff due to the surge of influenza cases across the HSE South West region’.

The IMO warned that the surge in demand for flu-related hospital treatment highlights the beds crisis in the public hospital system.

Southdoc reported a spike in calls from November 21st to December 4th with 8,425 calls compared with 7,297 calls in the previous fortnight.

Emergency medicine consultant Dr Peadar Gilligan warned: ‘Flu has come early and is accelerating in terms of the number of cases presenting to GPs and emergency departments.

‘There was a doubling of cases over the past two weeks reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.’

He said the number hospitalised with flu nationwide is currently in excess of 500 and is expected to pass the one thousand mark before Christmas.

He added: ‘In real terms that means the equivalent of two large hospitals in a system hugely challenged by the lack of hospital beds.

‘To date nine people have died from influenza in Ireland this flu season, all but one of whom were over 65 years of age.’

The IMO is urging all patients, but vulnerable patients in particular, to get the flu vaccine and COVID vaccine and avoid contact with others if they have flu symptoms such as a runny nose, cough or lack of energy.

Viruses do not respond to antibiotics so the advice is to ‘keep well hydrated, treat aches and pains with paracetamol and consider seeking medical help if you feel markedly short of breath’.