Alternatives to ED

There may be options for your symptoms that you can access yourself

• • For you: https://www2.hse.ie/living-well/%20
  • For your child: https://www2.hse.ie/my-child/

Find contact details for your Local Pharmacy

Pharmacies offer a wide range of services, including:

• • prescriptions and repeat prescriptions
  • medicines and treatments that you don’t need a prescription for; colds, pain relief, temperatures, hayfever, rashes and warts
  • help with taking medicines correctly
  • morning after pill 
  • blood pressure check-up
  • vaccines : COVID 19 and flu 

There are also some HSE schemes that can help with pharmacy costs:

• • Medical cards – check if you are eligible
  • Drugs payment scheme
  • Long-term illness scheme

Your primary point of contact should always be your GP and/or Out-of-Hours/SouthDoc 

• • Long-term medical illnesses
  • Feeling unwell, but not an emergency
  • Everyone should be registered with a GP, who is responsible for their ongoing healthcare needs. If you do visit the ED, we will often write a letter to your GP for follow up investigations or care.

The local injury network are a fantastic resource for treatment of a wide range of injuries – broken bones, sprains, minor burns, minor wounds. They also have access to X-ray imaging.

It costs €75 but there’s no charge with a medical card or referral from a GP or emergency department. You do not need an appointment. 

Bantry Injury Unit: Bantry General Hospital, Bantry, Cork, P75 DX93

Phone : 027 548 36

• Available to adults and children aged 5 and older
• Nearest Emergency Dept: Cork University Hospital (80km)

Mallow Injury Unit: Mallow General Hospital, Mallow, Cork, P51 N288

Phone : 022 58 506

• Available to adults and children aged 5 and older
• Nearest Emergency Dept: Cork University Hospital (35km)

The Mercy Injury Unit: The Mercy Injury Unit (Urgent Care Centre), Gurranabraher, Cork City, Cork, T23 YV52

Phone : 021 492 6900

• Available to adults and children aged 10 and older
• Nearest Emergency Dept: Mercy Hospital, Cork (1km)

If you have private healthcare, the private network offer a vast range of acute care services that should be considered. These services will divert patients to ED if presentation is not appropriate.

• www.affidea.ie/affidea-expresscare/Affidea
• www.layahealthcare.ie/
• www.materprivate.ie/our-services/emergency-care
• www1.vhi.ie/360health/urgent-care/cork

Your GP can refer you to the Acute Medical Assessment Units in one of the following locations if your need is Acute but not life threatening. 

• • Cork University Hospital 
  • Mallow General Hospital 
  • Bantry General Hospital 
  • Mercy University Hospital 
  • Bons Secour Hospital, Cork