The families of patients being treated at Ireland’s overrun A&Es said: “There are trolleys everywhere.”
One man, who was visiting his partner in St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin, said: “She was given a cubicle in the A&E Department and has been there for hours. It’s very bad in there. There are trolleys and people waiting everywhere. It’s crazy.”
Another man said he wasn’t allowed in to see his 87-year-old mum and was struggling to get an update on her condition. He told us: “I wasn’t allowed in. I was told to wait which I did for about 45 minutes but then I was told ‘no’. We can’t get any updates about how good or how bad she is doing. You basically have no clue how the people in there are doing.”
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Another woman, who was also visiting her mum, said: “It’s shocking but doctors and nurses are doing the best they can. Every time I go up, there seems to be more and more trolleys. My mam came in on Monday and is on a trolley in A&E. Monday wasn’t that bad, it was like the calm before the storm because today it is overrun.”
Across the city at the Mater Hospital, there was a similar situation. One woman, who was visiting her brother who has since been moved onto a ward said: “It’s a really bad situation.” My brother came to A&E on Friday and it was really bad then. He’s thankfully been moved to a ward since.”
While a 17-year-old teen who was brought to the Mater’s emergency department on Monday following complications arising from the flu said the doctors and nurses were doing a phenomenal job. He said: “It’s incredibly busy but the staff is doing everything they can. I was in the A&E for more than 24 hours in a cubicle. There are people everywhere.”
When asked about claims made, St Vincent’s Hospital said: “The Emergency Department in St Vincent’s University Hospital, like most other acute hospital Emergency Departments, is extremely busy today. The staff in the Emergency Department are always available to provide family members with updates in relation to their loved ones and can be contacted on 01 2214358. Callers can request a call back if unable to speak directly with staff at the time of their call.”
While a spokesperson for the Mater Hospital said: “The Mater Hospital is continuing its appeal to the public, where possible, to avoid the Mater’s emergency department. Like many acute hospitals across the country, the Mater Hospital is currently experiencing unprecedented numbers of people seeking care at our emergency department.”
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