Large crowds braved freezing temperatures to join protests in Navan, Drogheda, Cavan, Mullingar, Ennis, Limerick and Nenagh on Monday to protest against the deteriorating conditions in A&Es throughout Ireland.
Organiser of the event, Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín, told Gript that the large turnout was proof of deep frustration at reduced access to emergency services.
“What we are seeing happening today is the development of National Hospital Campaign,” Mr Tóibín said.
“People are deeply frustrated that timely access to emergency services is being denied from hundreds of thousands of people who desperately need it every year”.
“The old and the infirm and the sick are materially suffering due to the A&E crisis. From 100,000 people waiting on trolleys, to record waiting times, to children forced to sleep in cars outside of A&E to Drogheda Hospital becoming a long term car park for ambulances seeking to deposit patients, to the lack of ambulances to deal with emergence calls, to Doctor Off Call services due to the lack of staff, people had had enough. Given all of that, no our region cannot understand how the HSE would even consider closing A&E in Meath,” he said.
Protestors gathered outside Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan, along with Our Lady of Lourdes’ Hospital in Drogheda, with separate protests also held at Cavan General Hospital and others, after people were encouraged to voice their frustrations.
The protests came as new ambulance bypass protocols between Our Lady’s Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital are set to come into force later this week. From this Wednesday, critically ill patients who would normally be brought to Navan A&E by ambulance will now instead be taken to nearby hospitals, including Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda.
The protests outside local A&E departments heard how 100,000 people here were on trollies this year – while 75,000 waited on treatment but left due to waiting times. Demonstrators heard how up to 360 people died because of A&E overcrowding, as they called for change amid an “unprecedented crisis” in our A&Es.
‘Patients may die’
Mr Tóibín said that at the heart of the problem lies a HSE which is “a law unto itself”. He said it has become clear the HSE management are becoming isolated on such issues.
Consultants in Drogheda recently expressed deep concern in a letter to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly this month, who signed off on the change to ambulance protocol, warning that patients may die because of the “inevitable surge in clinical activity” this winter.
Nearly 20 consultants from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda told the Health Minister that they have “minimal confidence” in the hospital’s ability to deal with the “inevitable surge in clinical activity” from December 12.
The hospital in Drogheda is currently 16 consultants short and the closure of the A&E in Navan would involve transferring around five to six critically ill patients a day to Drogheda.
Just days later, fears about the change were compounded when 11 ambulances were left stranded outside Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda as they waited for hours to get patients onto a trolley or bed in the A&E department due to severe overcrowding.
The Aontu leader pointed out how a total of 17 consultants in Drogheda, four consultants in Mullingar, along with hundreds of GPs, nurses and hospital staff in Navan have written letters and signed petitions against the action of HSE management.
“On at least 4 occasions this year the Minister for Health has rejected the authority of the Minister,” he continued. “Currently in Meath no one knows what exactly is the A&E bypass protocol for Navan Hospital because the HSE and the Minister are in contradiction with each other. This is an incredible situation when 2 days before a bypass is to be implemented no one knows what it consists of. The Minister needs to get a grip now immediately”.
The TD said people “have had enough”.
“We will not tolerate it anymore. The HSE have seen nothing yet. We will build a National Hospital Campaign throughout this state to fight for patients’ rights. There should be no tolerable level deaths occurring because of overcrowded A&Es in this country and anyone, public servant or Minister presiding over such a situation should go”.