The HSE manager for Kerry says the messages in their Caring for Kerry campaign weren’t intended to insult anyone.
The Caring for Kerry campaign was launched to tackle overcrowding in wards, and long delays in the emergency department at University Hospital Kerry.
It aimed to encourage the public to only attend the ED in genuine emergency situations, and not to overstay at the hospital once their treatment is finished.
Cllr Deirdre Ferris, who is a member of the Regional Health Forum South, criticised the language used in the campaign, calling it wholly insulting.
HSE manager for Kerry Julie O'Neill says UHK gets close to 200 presentations daily to ED during the busy winter period.
She says the campaign was trying to inform people of the care options available to them, not to blame patients for delays or overcrowding:
