The daughter of an 81-year-old man who was forced to spend 4 days in A&E in St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin with a broken collar bone after suffering a serious fall has spoken out to slam the treatment he received.
The pensioner’s daughter, Aisling O’Connor, says her father spent four days in the Accident and Emergency Department after suffering a serious fall at Killiney shopping centre in Dublin. Despite having private medical insurance, Ms O’Connor says her father could not obtain a bed at the hospital – adding that his private healthcare now seems “laughably useless”.
Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Aisling O’Connor, who is head of TV commissioning for BBC England, wrote:
“My 81 year old father who is on dialysis had a serious accident on Thursday at Killiney shopping centre & is still in A&E in Vincent’s in Dublin 4 days later with no bed – despite private medical insurance, broken collar bone and total confusion”.
My 81 year old father who is on dialysis had a serious accident on Thursday at Killiney shopping centre & is still in A&E in Vincent's in Dublin 4 days later with no bed -despite private medical insurance, broken collar bone and total confusion. @HelenORahilly @IrishTimes
— Aisling O'Connor (@AislingHastings) July 24, 2022
Ms O’Connor said that she was “horrified” at the treatment of her father, and questioned whether such a response was normal in Dublin.
“I’m beyond horrified at his treatment,” she said, explaining that the family had made attempts to get him out of A&E: “The whole family is trying to get him out of A and E where we are struggling to be allowed to visit him into somewhere better while dealing with my mother – he is her carer as she has Parkinson’s . Thoughts anyone ? Is this normal in Dublin?”
Sharing an update this afternoon following her father’s prolonged stay in A&E at the Dublin Hospital, she said: “My 81 year old father is now finally in a public ward – 4 nights since arriving @SVUH – 4 nights in A&E with a head injury. The private health care he paid for seems laughably useless – no private beds even for a man on dialysis in the care of Blackrock clinic. @donnellystephen”.
My 81 year old father is now finally in a public ward – 4 nights since arriving @SVUH – 4 nights in A&E with a head injury. The private health care he paid for seems laughably useless – no private beds even for a man on dialysis in the care of Blackrock clinic. @donnellystephen https://t.co/kiJMsXvO8D
— Aisling O'Connor (@AislingHastings) July 25, 2022
Online, Ms O’Connor was inundated with well wishes for her father, while many also recounted their own experiences with the Irish health service.
“It’s normal in Ireland,” one person on Twitter said. “The HSE has siphoned off billions, on dodgy contracts, that could have been spent on delivery of a Health Service.
It’s normal in Ireland. The HSE has siphoned off billions, on dodgy contracts, that could have been spent on delivery of a Health Service.
I’m so sorry for your family, it is a disgrace. Nothing you can do while he’s in A&E apart from try to publicise it. Seems to be the only way— Angie B 🏴☠️🇵🇸🇮🇪 (@angiebeeb) July 25, 2022
I’m so sorry for your family, it is a disgrace. Nothing you can do while he’s in A&E apart from try to publicise it. Seems to be the only way”.
“Your poor dad – I’ve had a broken collar bone and it’s agony propped up in bed never mind sitting in a plastic chair – I hope he gets care today”, another person said.
Your poor dad – I’ve had a broken collar bone and it’s agony propped up in bed never mind sitting in a plastic chair – I hope he gets care today ❤️❤️❤️❤️
— Barbera Mellerick (@mammywagon) July 25, 2022
“So sorry to hear this Aisling. My 78 year old dad fell 6ft and was knocked unconscious, big gash on his head requiring stitches & broken ribs. Sent home same day with 1 painkiller. Not even kept in overnight for observation,” another person responded.
One Twitter user shared a personal story of their mother’s last days spent at St. Vincent’s: “My mother’s last days began in @svuh in A&E. She eventually got a bed and all the care they could give. As a geriatric patient our family felt she was not a priority. They said her life was not in danger. But she died there. Only one of us was with her,” they said.
My mother's last days began in @svuh in A&E. She eventually got a bed and all the care they could give. As a geriatric patient our family felt she was not a priority. They said her life was not in danger. But she died there. Only one of us was with her.
— Lillis Ó Laoire (@Lillis25) July 25, 2022
While another said: “When I hear about this I am embarrassed by my country”.
The 81-year-old’s ordeal comes after St. Vincent’s last month urged patients to avoid its emergency department where possible due to ‘high numbers’ of presentations.
In a statement from 29 June, the hospital said services at the hospital were under “extreme pressure” due to the high number of people presenting. It was reported at the time that patients arriving with non-urgent conditions were facing what the hospital said were lengthy waiting times to be seen as a result.
St. Vincent’s subsequently advised those with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance elsewhere, such as at a minor injury unit or through a GP. It did, however, urge any patient requiring emergency hospital care to attend, stating that they would be seen and should not postpone seeking care, while apologising for the inconvenience caused by the move.
The recent debacle in Dublin comes after an elderly man spent a staggering seven days on an A&E trolly in Galway Hospital, prompting furious backlash. The manager of University Hospital Galway broke his silence earlier this month to apologise for the incident, as he addressed the current issue relating to a lack of available beds for patients.
The family of the 77-year-old man said the ordeal “seriously deteriorated” the pensioner’s health. Speaking to Galway Bay FM, Billy O’Loughlin’s son, Liam, said that his mother, also in her 70s, was the only person to wash her husband during those seven days.
Speaking on the radio station, Mr O’Loughlin said that his father had waited on a trolly for a total of 172 hours.
He said: “The only shower he had while in the emergency department was when my mum went in and showered him, which is undignified for the pair of them.”
With his father being on a restricted diet, Billy quickly deteriorated and survived off “the offerings of soup and scrambled eggs”. His son Liam said his father “hadn’t slept in 7 days, hadn’t eaten, he was in total discomfort (from lying on the hard trolley)”.
Billy’s son said that when his father was finally moved to a bed after the week-long ordeal, he was “like a different man”, telling Galway Beo that “it was the first time in seven days that he had seen daylight and received fresh air”.
Addressing that particular case, manager of the hospital, Chris Cane, highlighted the problem of bed capacity.
Mr Kane said: “The hospital can’t comment on individual cases but obviously seven days is not satisfactory, but that this is not a regular occurrence” as he predicted that he believed bed capacity would create more issues in the future.
Galway hospital has opened a new Emergency Department, which is hoped to help alleviate some of the current problems and provide more space for patients.
“It’s only a temporary solution, but it does create some isolation cubicles capacity in the emergency department… I do still think bed capacity will be a problem going into the winter” he admitted.
This month, a letter from the interim Chief Medical Officer to the Minister for Health stated that the Irish hospital system is “under considerable pressure”.
In mid-July, it was revealed that 70 patients were without a bed in University Hospital Galway, the highest level of overcrowding there since 2019.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has been among those to highlight the crisis plaguing Irish hospitals. Last autumn, Tóibín accused Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael of “gutting” the health service — resulting in a lack of beds.
“In 2001 Ireland had 22,658 hospital beds, in 2021 we have 14,213. In that 20 years, our population grew by 1m people, or 25%.
“There is massive pressure on our health service, in large part, because FF and FG have gutted it.
“Now is the time to build in hospital capacity!” the TD said last November.
In 2001 Ireland had 22,658 hospital beds,
in 2021 we have 14,213.
In that 20 years, our population grew by 1m people, or 25%.
There is massive pressure on our health service, in large part, because FF and FG have gutted it.
Now is the time to build in hospital capacity! pic.twitter.com/UBuhYlA8nY
— Peadar Tóibín TD (@Toibin1) November 22, 2021