An 84-year-old man with special needs was left on a trolley in the emergency department at Mayo University Hospital for four days before being transferred to a bed on a ward this week.
The patient, who has an intellectual disability and a number of serious medical conditions, presented at the emergency department early on Friday morning accompanied by a carer.
He was accommodated on a trolley in a corridor of the department following admission, and remained there for more than 100 hours, until he was transferred to a bed on a day ward in the hospital on Tuesday.
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A member of the man’s family said he was in a distressed state and struggled to rest in the bright, busy corridor, where several other patients were also left on trolleys in close proximity to each other.
“He was on a trolley just inside doors that led to an exit, and there was a smell of smoke coming in from outside when they’d open,” they said.
“The place was packed, the lights were so bright, and at one stage there were children playing with a ball in the corridor. He was so distressed and he couldn’t sleep; it was terrible.”
The family member said the patient had a complex medical history including diabetes and a serious cardiac condition. However, he had yet to receive a diagnosis in respect of his latest health issue on Monday evening.
He was moved to a bed on a day ward in the hospital on Tuesday, shortly after the Saolta University Healthcare Group was contacted for comment in relation to the case by this newspaper.
A spokeswoman for the group acknowledged that Mayo University Hospital was currently “extremely challenged” by a sustained increase in demand and a lack of available beds.
She apologised to patients and their families for the upset caused by long waiting times in the emergency department. However, the spokeswoman said the group could not comment on individual cases.
“When a patient or family makes personal information public, this does not relieve the HSE and all HSE-funded hospitals of its duty to preserve or uphold patient confidentiality at all times,” she explained.
“The emergency department continues to be extremely busy with high numbers of patients attending, many of whom present with complex needs requiring admission.
“Patient safety is at the forefront of everything we do and staff proritise to ensure critical need is met. We regret that any patient has experienced long wait times,” added the spokeswoman.
A total of 709 patients were on trolleys across the country on Monday, 533 of whom were waiting in emergency departments. It was the third-highest daily figure this year.
Yesterday, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) warned that these “extremely high” levels of overcrowding “cannot continue”.
“The INMO is now requesting that the HSE immediately carry out a full review of weekend activity across all hospital sites and in the community sector,” said the union’s general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha.
“Overcrowding has become a year-round problem and it is our view we now need a year-long plan with multi-annual funding,” she added.
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