Irish health service stories

Tusky

I'm looking for stories in regards to the Irish health service. They can be positive, negative or humorous. Anything from hospital waiting times or recent news stories to a funny trip in an ambulance. All are welcome!

They will be used on a current affairs radio show on Friday and I will of course give boards.ie a mention.

Also guys, if you want to stick up your real name and your location (county is fine) that would be great too. They will be read out. Name the hospital you dealt with if possible too.

RandolphEsq

Was in A&E last night with my friend there in Vincent's. It was empty and we were in and out in an hour and a half

Terry

Four hours in Tallaght to get my finger seen to.
It was fairly packed, so I think they did quite well.
Four stitches and an x-ray and a couple of other examinations.

Had to wait three months to get the lump on my neck seen to though.

Tusky

Comments on the loss of beds at Cherry Orchid hospital particularly welcome.

monkeyfudge

I got a knife stuck in my chest one time and I was seen to straight away in Beaumont which was great...

They wanted to keep me in for 3 days for observation but I'd previously done some work for the hospital so I knew the administrator and was able to get all my tests railroaded through as I didn't feel like sitting there for that length of time so I got myself checked out within 24 hours and just went home to lie in my own bed recovering for a week.

Nightwish

The local pre-discharge unit in Kilkenny is closing down for the summer because of lack of money.

Meteoric

I broke my arm recently (as in this month) and went into Wexford General on a Saturday, was seen, x-rayed and had my arm put in temporary plaster within about 2 and a 1/2 hours, everyone was lovely, actually being dealt with for only about 20min of those 2 hours but there were other people to be seen, everyone was as helpful and as efficient as could be.

I had to go back on the Monday to the fracture clinic, was given a 10:15 appointment, the thing is that it seems that it's a first-in-first-seen situation, the appointment means nothing.

Again staff were great but the thing was that there were about 30 people who had arrived before 10:15 and they were all seen first. For the follow up I came early and instead of having to wait until 13:15 to be seen (no x-ray then I had to wait to be plastered again after being seen) I was in and out (with x-ray) in two hours.

That said, the fracture people seemed less busy the second time the queue was much smaller, but there seemed to me to be more patients on trolleys the second monday so maybe it's the luck of the draw as to what's wrong and who's available.

Overall my impression was of hard-working people doing their best within constraints of lack of staff and overwhelming paperwork.

xOxSinéadxOx

anytime i go to st. luke's in kilkenny i'm just told to go to waterford! :mad:

randylonghorn

Meteoric wrote: »

Overall my impression was of hard-working people doing their best within constraints of lack of staff and overwhelming paperwork.

My experience too tbh.

Confine the "jobs freeze" to the administrative paperpushers for about 5 years, and our health service would probably be within budget and a hell of a lot more efficient.

Tusky

Cheers guys. These will all be used. Hopefully will get some more in before tomorrow too.

spurious

Teenage student at our school - blacking out, splitting headache, fitting.
Had gone to casualty late last week with the same problem and was given appointment for neurologist in January 2009 (!).
Splitting headache continued and child blacked out on stairs and fell badly, injuring an arm.
Her mother found the money to go private and had an appointment for her within two days.
Disgusting.

Caoimhín

7 hours on the floor on Tullamore A&E with a cracked vertebra.

all the stars

So,
Went to visit my friend in maternity unit of portlaoise - went to help area, nurse said she is in room 1 (for example)
Went to rm 1, just popped my head in - all beds full - no friend in sight - had quick look in hall doors - no sign

went back to nurse who then started shouting at me! i calmly explained i dont want to be disturbing women who just gave birth and she continued shouting. I found my friend myself the far end of the place.

Same nurse also at 'bedtime - private hours' went in and started shouting at my friend (who had just given birth few hours earlier) and at her partner telling him seen as they weren't married to get out. and let other married couple far side of room completely alone.

Sherifu

Only had one dealing really with A&E once. Fractured foot. Was dealt with quickly enough, x-rayed and put in a cast. But it was years ago. Nothing too recent thankfully.

July

My seriously ill Dad recently waited over 4 hours to see a doctor in A&E in UHG even though his GP had suspected a brain haemorrhage (which it was). :eek:

Two hours was spent in the waiting room surrounded by 'all sorts' - soccer on the TV, people discussing it, people sitting around eating Supermacs, crisps etc. (as people do during their long wait but someone who's after having a brain haemorrhage shouldn't have to endure this).

Although some people went through in stretchers while we waited, there seemed to be perfectly able-bodied people called in ahead of us. There's something very wrong somewhere when this can happen.

Beruthiel

My Dad was in hospital many years ago.
He was told he'd get a letter for an appointment.
Last autumn 2007 he received the letter.
Eight years after he was told they would be sending it out.....

Tusky

Guys if you wouldnt mind leaving your real first name and your location so that I can read them out. Cheers.

luckat

Tusky, may I suggest that you ask people to PM you with their real first name? A lot of people don't want to reveal their real name - even their first name - on a public forum.

July

Tusky wrote: »

Guys if you wouldnt mind leaving your real first name and your location so that I can read them out. Cheers.

PMd

Annatar

randylonghorn wrote: »

My experience too tbh.

Confine the "jobs freeze" to the administrative paperpushers for about 5 years, and our health service would probably be within budget and a hell of a lot more efficient.

Admin is needed! Who will write the letters for the Doctors or do you want Doc's to do that themselves taking them away from patients?
ICT... what kinda of health system would you have if the computer network fails? PC, printer issues. How to you get admitted if the logging system cant be accessed on ancient tepramental PCs?

If you want to know where the money is wasted its in middle to upper management. Waaayyyy to many!!

Budgets.... if you dont spend your budget this year, you dont get the same amount next year. What kinda of inticement is that to save?!!!!
Different years have different cost factors... infrastructure needs fixing, upgrading etc

Madness!!!

Harney: The Butcher of The Public Health System

Insect Overlord

I've been quite lucky, health-wise, for most of my life. Back in December 2005 I was injured in training, my coach had a look and said I was fine. I ignored him, went to the Regional Hospital in Limerick and was seen to within an hour. From what I can remember it was confirmed within half an hour of the x-ray being taken that I had broken my collar bone.
Unfortunately there was very little they could do in terms of fixing it (damage wasn't serious enough to require surgery) but the follow up appointments [1, 3 and 6 weeks later] were well conducted, I got pleasant service from the doctors and I don't recall having to wait very long at all.

Tommy, Limerick.

jenny-walsh

Nightwish wrote: »

The local pre-discharge unit in Kilkenny is closing down for the summer because of lack of money.

Not good since Luke's is also covering Carlow and Athy.

I went to Waterford to have an x-ray in my knee. They sent me round in circles for a few hours and I ended up being prepped for a cat scan. The nurse wouldn't listen to me when I said it was my knee they were supposed to be looking at and tried to take my necklace off. I kicked up a right fuss but she was thick as hell cos the chart said Cat scan.
Wasn't even my name on the chart!
Took me about an hour and much kicking and shouting to get it sorted out.
They sure as hell weren't going to probe my brain.
Also had the experience of being treated like scum by a midwife cos I wasn't married, that was in 2002.
That said I found all other nurses absolutely lovely.

Tusky

luckat wrote: »

Tusky, may I suggest that you ask people to PM you with their real first name? A lot of people don't want to reveal their real name - even their first name - on a public forum.

Good idea.

If anyone would rather pm me their first names or their stories thats fine too.

Sully

Was a Students Night out in Waterford City and where was a lad on the ground having fits. Gardai were seeing to him and there was no sign of an ambulance. Lots of trouble surrounding the man, not to sure if there was a fight or not. Regardless, no ambulance so we called 999 and was told one would be sent. One of the girls in the back told them that they called an ambulance to be told they have been asking for one for ages and there is none available. Called the emergency services again to be told "Its just around the corner". Nope, no sign of the ambulance so the injured party was put into a Garda Van and drove to hospital.

We drove of home to find the Ambulance half way up the road parked in a Petrol Station, not on a call.

Kevin, Waterford.

What exactly is this for? Oh a current affairs show. For which station?

I've only ever had good experiences with the Galway A&E. Been in there a few times, mainly with heart problems (turns out I've got arythmia but it was never caught) and they seemed effective enough.

July

Deleted User wrote: »

I've only ever had good experiences with the Galway A&E.......they seemed effective enough.

Lucky you. Have you read my post on the first page?

July

July wrote: »

Lucky you. Have you read my post on the first page?

Well that I cannot explain. And yes, I have been lucky. But this thread is about our individual opinions. I am simply giving mine.

ImDave

I had a large kidney stone a couple of years back. GP sent me into A&E, had an x-ray done within 10 min of going in, an ultrasound after another 30 min, and saw the doctor within an hour of setting foot in there. Referred for urgent surgery to the consultant in Limerick because it was going to obstruct, and had it removed five days later. Extremely efficient service, and all the staff were top quality and very friendly.

Tusky

Thanks guys, keep em coming.

Susannahmia

My grandmother had a stroke in 2004, we went to portlaoise hospital and did not get a cat scan for three days as you had to travel to tullamore to get it done. Obviously by then all the damage is done.

Most of the nurses were great but far too overworked, we used to go in to feed her and look after her as it wasent always certain the nurses would have time to do it properly.

One of the nurses was extremely rude and stupid, she was constantly putting the drip in wrong and causing gran unnecessary distress. .

Granny wasn't eating much, was getting sick a lot from vertigo and was diabetic. Dispite this fact, it never occurred to them to put her on a drip and she went into a diabetic coma. My aunt and mother are nurses in other hospitals and knew straight away, when they alerted this particular nurse she kept insisting that gran was just asleep before she was finally convinced. If she had been left much longer she would have died (ie if we hadn't been there to keep an eye on things). My grandmother was revived from the coma easily enough but suffered another stroke a week later and died. Might as well have kept her at home, she probably would have been better cared for.:rolleyes:

If I were to get sick, I would hold out and get a lift to naas or tullamore, no way would I go near that hospital. I have spoken to several people that would or do, do the same.

Oh and also, my flatmate, out of nowhere, had a seizure about 6 weeks ago. It had never happend before (although she has "fainted" several times while no one was in the room to see) and we were scared s******* so we called an ambulance. She was brought to Blanchardstown and given a chest x ray (Why!?). The docter looked her over, did no other tests and told her to go home. She got up to leave and threw up, he left and never came back. 15 minutes later a nurse came in and told her she could go. She was told that if it happened again to see a neurologst and that blanch did not have one. She had to go to her own gp to get a private referral so as to find out what caused it.

mollie006

Family experiences:

1. Aunt got a lump on her eyelid. She had to wait 3 years to have it removed and checked for cancer. It was 6 times the size and she could barely open her eye.

2. 6weeks ago. Sister went into a Portiuncula hospital for an operation. The stench of urine in the hallway was sickening. Had operation on Monday am and was released on Tuesday on morphine. Within 3 days i had her back at A&E with severe pain and fever. There were no chairs and the people were standing or sitting on the floor with broken arms, babies with stomach pains, an older man with chest pains.

My sister could not stand or get down on the floor with pain. I went around the hospital myself and carried chairs down for the people to sit in. Why the staff didn't do this, i don't know. We waited 5 hours, but others before us were going on 10 hours.

The surgeon wouldn't see her until Monday, so she was given pain killers and antibiotics and waited to be seen for the infection. No one came to see her. A nurse said maybe you can go home tomorrow..At that i went to see her GP and sat there until he called the hospital and surgeon to find out what was going on. Finally, at 9pm at night 3 days later the surgeon came and changed all the medicine to the correct ones. She was kept 6 days. If they had not thrown her out within 24 hours of the surgery, the whole painful ordeal could have been avoided. The nurses were helpful, but looked overworked.
The 6 people crammed into a room is not good for anyone. One of the poor women sang and talked in her sleep all night, keeping all up.

In regards to the A&E department, it is a shame that it is so small with paint chipping off the walls and the sick have to wait in a hall by the door, with their coats pulled around them. You can buy any type of coffee there, ie; cappuccino---but there are no chairs for the sick patients.

4. While admitted to Roscommon hospital for an infection, my Uncle had little to do but read the information on his drip bag. When a nurse came to change it and it was different, he asked if his medicine was being changed. She yelled at him and said "I don't need this...i just came on". Sure enough, she brought back the correct medicine and said nothing. What would have happened to him with the wrong medicine? He was afraid to speak or look at her the rest of her shift. This treatment of patients is, hopefully, rare?

5. Recently attended Roscommon Hospital A&E, no waiting time. The Dr was reading a magazine. He did not give me his name, smile or say hello. Looked at my problem, walked away and came back with a pain killer and told me to see GP. I asked twice before my vitals were taken. If i had not persisted, they would not have been taken which showed a temperature. My GP could not believe he did not give me the proper medication that needed to be ingested within 48 hours of onset to be of help. There was no one in the A&E but me.

On the whole, for A&E departments, there is no comparison from Roscommon to Portiuncula. Roscommon has chairs and they seem much more efficient in regards to nursing staff and equipment. Also, seems much cleaner. The thought that this department would be closed, as is rumored, and services sent to Portiuncula is absurd and will be a detriment to thousands of people. Hopefully, the people of this area will stand up and be heard by those in authority.

From what i witnessed and experienced first hand, I feel that one needs someone looking out for them and not be afraid to intervene, if needed. I can't imagine what would have happened to my sister had i not gone to her GP myself. Also, be informed...read up on your illness, make sure you are receiving proper treatment. If you do not speak up, the problems within this system will never be addressed.

I hope this has been of help to you.
Mary from Athlone

mollie006

Tusky.....what station will this be on? Would like to hear the whole show.
Thank you.

chopperbyrne

Recently had to be taken to A&E in Beaumont Hospital with shooting pains on the left side of my chest.

I was in the hospital for about four and a half hours, but A&E was quite full.

Was initially seen to after about half an hour to have blood pressure and heart rate checked.

About an hour and a half later I was seen to by a doctor. He was very pleasant and did seem genuinely concerned.

Got an x-ray done about half hour later. The woman giving the x-ray wasn't very sympathetic when I told her I couldn't take a deep breath without being in extreme pain.

X-ray revealed nothing and the doctor stuck with his initial assumption that the problem was muscular and prescribed strong pain killers and also a Ventolin inhaler as I had a history of asthma.

All in all, I was happy with the service I received, but I'm still unhappy with the general state of the health service.

Gerard Byrne, Dublin.

galway008

2 tier system more like 3 tier.
Broke my leg a year ago. Went to AandE in Galway University. Had to go to Merlin Park next morning for an operation to put in a pin. Turned up at Merlin Park and was filling in the forms. Administrator said to me do I have VHI I said yes plan B (like most people). She then goes well if you want to have the operation today you will have to pay for it yourself, I was dumbfounded, I said yes and signed some form. They never billed me tough. Now adays I go to AandE in the North better service and none of that rubbish.

Saint_Mel

Few years ago I dislocated and broke a finger playing football. Went over to Tullamore hospital, sitting in A&E for 4-5 hours, was a busy night for them. Got x-rays done before the doctor there yanked it back into place and I was told to come back in the morning and they'd see about the break.

Went up again next morning and saw the orthapedic doctor. Strapped me up in a very awkard splint and was told to come back in a month. Came back a month later and same doctor asked who put on the splint as they had done it totally wrong ... and had used the wrong kind of splint altogether for the injury!
Told him that it was him and the response was, "oh, thats odd".

Went to see an orthapedic specialist after that and he reckoned he could not fault the treatment in Tullamore, despite the wrong splints being used!

I still cannot straighten my finger properly.

Ronquist

I got into the hospitals and came out somehow with hepatitus B, since i got no proof cant do **** about it

Nightwish

My granduncle had a kidney removed 10 years ago in a Dublin hospital. They never told him he had cancerous growths on his lungs at the time. He was only officially diagnosed 3 months ago. He waited in the local hospital to be transferred to Dublin for treatment, in the end he was discharged and told to ring Dublin every day to see if there was a bed available. After 2 weeks of waiting he eventually got a bed. When he arrived in Dublin, the hospital wouldnt admit him as his file had been "misplaced". He eventually got started with his treatment but he shouldnt have had a 10 year delay and shouldnt have been treated the way he was.

In Kilkenny Professor Drumm was here recently to "open" the Stroke Unit. It cannot open however as none of the specialised nursing jobs for the unit have been approved.

CJay

A certain hospital gave up on my Gran when she was seriously Ill, upped her morphine and it was like they were leaving her to die. Wasn't until a family friend (who's a nurse) recognised what they were doing and raised holy hell. She got through it and lived on.
Very very scary.
Half the prolem with her condition was that she was misdiagnosed.
However I'm not going to mention the hospital or my name...

Reading this thread makes me very afraid of ever being seriously ill

Tusky

Thanks guys, some good stuff here. Just to repeat myself, if you dont mind your first name and location being read out please include it within your post.

mollie006

Tusky, Please reply as to which station will be discussing this information tomorrow.
Thank you.

Tusky

mollie006 wrote: »

Tusky, Please reply as to which station will be discussing this information tomorrow.
Thank you.

I pm'd you about it some time ago!

Sully

Tusky wrote: »

I pm'd you about it some time ago!

Send me on that info please!

Susannahmia

Sully wrote: »

Send me on that info please!

me too please

phantom_lord

it's an apt forum u mod Tusky.

sam34

Tusky wrote: »

I pm'd you about it some time ago!

whats the big secret about it? if theres a programme being aired publicly why cant you post the details of it for all to see?

Zaph

Ruptured tendons in both knees almost 2 years ago. Spent 26 hours on a trolley in A&E in St. Vincent's before finally being moved to a ward. In that time I was variously wheeled in and out of a small rooms and curtained off cubicles, depending on what was needed or how much I was in the way, before eventuallly being left in the corridor. If I needed to pee I had to try and attract the attention of someone who wasn't too busy so that they could wheel me into a cubicle for a couple of minutes. After about 22 hours one particularly nice nurse (although to be fair all the staff were superb, I couldn't fault them) took pity on me and managed to claim a cubicle for me so that I could get a couple of hours sleep. I can confirm that after the first couple of hours those trolleys are like lying on concrete.

Sully

Sully wrote: »

Send me on that info please!

Me three.

sunnyjim

I'm not putting my stories up unless I know who they're for.

Toto Wolfcastle

I was given a nearly 4 month wait for an appointment to get a lump in my breast checked. I was only 20, they probably thought I'd bounce back. Good thing it wasn't cancer because it's hard to bounce back from being dead. Also, if it had been cancer I was lucky that my Granddad was on the board of the hospital and managed to get me an appointment within a week. As I sat in the empty waiting room of the breast clinic I couldn't help but wonder why it would take so long?

I am aware that others wait longer though, so I count myself lucky.

I'd also like to add that my housemate went to A and E last week with headaches and was seen within 2 hours, which is pretty damn fast by today's standards. They did close A and E though to stop anyone else getting in even though it was a quiet enough day.

I would also like to know what show some of the stories will be featured on. I hardly think you would say no to a larger audience which you might get if you say it here!

Tusky

Its for a college radio station. 'goradio'

phantom_lord wrote: »

it's an apt forum u mod Tusky.

Haha, indeed!

Catari Jaguar

Deleted User wrote: »

(turns out I've got arythmia but it was never caught)

Snap!

I had a heart episode and was brought to Louglinstown heart area and was seen too after about 40 min (my heart was really irregular and I couldn't breathe and was very upset and scared). Nurse was lovely. I got all hooked up and a drip thing, a ECG scan, chest X ray and doctor came to check on me and explain what had happened in about the space of 2 hours. (turns out I'm not to eat sugar!!) Was only 70e too...

Cat, Dublin