The parents of a Dublin lad were shocked to receiving a letter from a debt collection agency for a €100 hospital fee despite their child not being seen by a doctor after five hours of waiting in A&E.
The Tallaght family rushed to A&E when their two-year-old son, Jacob Daly became extremely ill and was struggling to breathe.
After hours of waiting, Karl and Samantha Daly made the difficult decision to leave the waiting area as their toddler was become extremely agitated.
They did not get to seen by a doctor in Crumlin Children's Hospital and organised to meet their GP instead.
However, they later received a letter from the hospital highlighting an outstanding payment of €100.
The pair explained the situation to the hospital but have yet again received an urgent notice from a collection agency looking for payment this morning, months after the hospital visit.
Samantha told Dublin Live that she wants to highlight their story as she believes many other parents may be in a similar situation.
The Dublin mum explained that their worry and stress was made worse by an extremely long waiting time.
Samantha said: "It was back on the October bank holiday weekend. He was showing symptoms of Covid but the hospital said to bring him because it didn't sound like it was Covid.
"We brought him in and his breathing was a bit funny. He had a really bad cough to the point of gagging, being sick and then choking.
"When we brought him in, we were waiting for half an hour to 45 mins before we even got through triage.
"Then when we went through the triage, they didn't say anything. They didn't say if the breathing was okay or if it was a normal rate or anything like that.
"They moved us into an overflow waiting area in the hallway. I was talking to another mother there because she ws waiting there for over eight hours. It was awful. All the kids had the same symptoms as well. There was a virus going around kids.
"We were there for about two, two and a half hours.
"Obviously he was a two-year-old waiting in a hospital, so he was making himself worse by being in the hospital.
"We asked how long it was going to be and they said that they couldn't say, there was a huge backlog and loads of kids to be seen.
"I kept asking the nurses and doctors that were walking by but they had absolutely no idea.
"My husband was waiting outside so I called him. We decided to go out, ring the doctor and bring him to a GP instead.
"He was making himself worse and he wasn't going to be seen there.
"The doctors and nurses couldn't tell us how long it was going to be.
"We just had to go somewhere else.
"I got an appointment a few days later with my GP and they then figured out what was wrong with him.
"He had an ear and throat infection."
The parents were then shocked to receive a letter looking for payment after leaving without a consultation.
Samantha said: "We received a letter in November. We called up the hospital and explained the situation.
"My doctor said there should be no need for proof. We got another bill last week or the week. This morning, we received a letter from a debt collector saying that we have to make the payment.
"We have been back onto the hospital this morning and I've arranged with out GP to get a letter that he was seen a few days after the hospital visit. What will happen next will depend on the letter from the doctor."
The family's hospital ordeal was made worse by the fact that only one parent could stay with their son which caused him to become even more distressed.
Samantha said: "Karl went in originally but we had to swap over because you're only allowed one person. I had to hold my handbag hold him in my arms, try and push the buggy as well as having to open the doors.
"Nobody would even open the doors for you."
"His cough could obviously be heard by doctors and nurses."
Dublin Live have contacted Children's Health Ireland for comment.
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