Emergency Department

Please do not attend without a referral or an appointment time from us.

If you are a patient

The best route to access the Emergency Department is with a referral from your GP or optician. Ask your GP or optician to send us an electronic referral via Healthlink (or by email to ed.reception@rveeh.ie if they do not have Healthlink), including your correct phone number. We will contact you the same day if we receive it before 5pm, or the next morning if after 5pm. If you have not heard from us, ring 01 664 4600 and press 1 for the Emergency Department.

For urgent advice If you have had recent eye surgery, or were recently seen in the Eye Emergency Department and have a new problem or concern, ring 01 664 4600 and press 1 for the Emergency Department.

Referring yourself If you want to refer yourself: ring 01 664 4600 and press 1. There is no charge for the call. If you are then asked to attend the Eye Emergency Department, a €100 government levy applies unless you have a referral letter from your doctor or optician or a valid medical card. You are not charged again for return visits within 30 days.

What happens when you press 1: you join a queue for our Eye Emergency Department administrative team. The team will then arrange for a specialist nurse or doctor to call you back, assess you over the phone and, if needed, give you a time to attend the Emergency Department.

Phone line hours: Monday to Friday 8am–5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am–5pm.

Chemical injuries, penetrating eye injuries or post-operative bleeding: come straight to the hospital and tell security staff immediately.

If you are a healthcare professional

All referral letters from GPs and opticians should be sent via Healthlink. If you do not have access to Healthlink, emergency referrals can be sent to ed.reception@rveeh.ie.

As of the 1 March 2027 the Emergency Department will only receive referrals via Healthlink.

To discuss an urgent case, ring 01 664 4600 and ask the switchboard for the emergency department ophthalmologist. Please do not press 1; that line is for patients.

Post-Operative Urgent Advice

For patients who have had recent eye surgeries (within the last month) and need urgent advice outside of regular hours, please call 01-6644600 and ask to speak to the nurse in charge.

Out-of-Hours Eye Emergencies

• Northside: Call D-DOC at 1850 22 44 77
• Southside: Call EDOC at 01-2234500
• Alternatively, attend your nearest emergency department.
• Patients can be accepted outside of the above hours by doctor-to-doctor agreement only.
  Please ask your doctor to contact the Ophthalmologist on call on 01-6644600 for urgent advice.

Pediatric Patients

There is no age limit for Ophthalmology patients; however, younger children may be better served in a pediatric setting (for example, neonatal cases should be referred back to a neonatal service). Children under 16 years must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

GP Liaison Nurse

For non-urgent queries about a patient you are referring or who has attended the Eye Emergency Department (discharge summaries, follow-up care, referral pathways, clinical advice), contact our GP Liaison Nurse, Audrey Drew. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:00–16:15

Mobile 086 852 0846, Office 01 634 3648

gp.liaison@rveeh.ie Please do not send referrals to this email. Outside these hours, ring 01 664 4600 and ask the switchboard for the on-call ophthalmologist.

Contacting the ENT Emergency Department

Referral Required

A GP referral via Healthlink or email to ed.reception@rveeh.ie is required for ENT emergency consultations.

Emergency healthcare phone number

01-6644600
A member of the ENT Medical team will phone you back.

Opening Hours

• Monday – Friday: 9 AM – 4 PM
• Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays

Conditions Treated

The RVEEH ENT ED is a dedicated specialist service for patients over the age of 14 years old with urgent ENT conditions. The service is designed to treat patients with acute ENT conditions as outlined below:

1.  Acute bleeding from the ear, nose, or throat
2. Acute ear infections (e.g., otitis externa)
3. Acute tonsil abscess or quinsy
4. Acute hearing loss

Patients with symptoms suspicious of Head and Neck Malignancy will be seen, assessed and referred, as appropriate, to a dedicated Head and Neck consultant.

Non-Urgent ENT Services

Patients with non-urgent ENT conditions should be referred to an ENT OPD by their GP.

Pediatric Patients

Patients under 14 years old must be referred to a pediatric hospital for ENT assessment.

Services Not Provided

The ENT department does not offer an earwax removal service. Patients requiring this service should seek alternative providers.

ED Nurse-Led Micro-Suction Clinic

For ear conditions requiring micro-suction, a Nurse-Led Micro-Suction Clinic is available in the Emergency Department on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 AM to 1 PM.