The alert, which came into effect on Monday, lasted until 5 pm on Wednesday.
On Friday, the Hospital said that an ‘amber alert’ was in place as ‘significant pressure’ on beds remains, adding that it anticipates patient numbers will fluctuate in the coming weeks.
High emergency admissions following the extended New Year weekend – sixty per cent higher than average on Monday alone – coupled with patients being stuck in hospital while medics tried to find them appropriate post-hospital care during the festive period was the cause of the crisis.
Due to the ‘unprecedented’ circumstances some routine elective surgeries were cancelled between Monday and Wednesday – the first time that the Hospital’s managing director Helen O’Shea has used the measure because of pressure on beds since she took up her position three years ago.
On Friday, the Hospital said that no further elective operations had been postponed since Wednesday.
