Tallaght hospital - story in today's indo

cletus van damme

story from todays's Indo

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/i-had-to-undergo-internal-exam-in-hospital-corridor-30006977.html

THIS Dublin mum was subjected to an internal examination in the corridor of Tallaght hospital with just a flimsy screens around her for privacy

Ciara O'Leary has spoken out about her treatment in the crowded A&E department.
Ciara (28) said that she waited for seven hours in the emergency ward before being fully examined by doctors.
She presented at the hospital suffering from severe abdominal pains and was suffering from suspected appendicitis.
Ciara waited on a trolley for doctors to examine her but was horrified when just two flimsy screens were put around her as a rectal exam took place.
“The doctor went off to get a female nurse, came back and proceeded to do the examination in the corridor,” Ciara said.
“It was only a minute and a half, but it's not the time it took, it's where it was done.
“If the screens are not fixed properly, you can see all you want basically.”
Ciara said that she only realised that it was possible to see after the intense exam. “I wasn't aware of this because my back was to them during the examination. I was in that much pain, I just wanted the pain to be gone,” she told the Irish Sun.
“It was not until afterwards that I stood up off the trolley to go to the loo and walked down past the cubicle.
“The examination is horrendous in itself, but to have it done in those circumstances...”

Concerns

The Tallaght mum-of-three was later released from the hospital on Sunday morning with a diagnosis of probable fluid in her pelvic area.
Tallaght Hospital said that they could not comment on individual cases, they always refer concerns to the Patient Advocacy Department.

Personally if I had "severe abdominal pains" I'd be happy to be examined in the nip on O'Connell bridge if it sorted the issue and I was seen to by a professional .

Granted our hospitals are not 5 star hotels but I think we get for the most part better services than other countries.
I'm not saying it wasn't uncomfortable but surely it wasn't newspaper worthy.

Do people expect too much and fail to recognise that everything in life isn't nice.
Do you think she is complaining too much ?

I do.

SEPT 23 1989

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

I'd say my cat pays more tax than her and her extended family. Looks like she got lost on the way to the Jeremy Kyle show.

ah now here,you cant say that about someone

Plazaman

Ah now getting a couple of fingers up the jacksy in a public hallway with men, women and children walking by and only a Michael Mouse screen to block the whole world seeing your bits and pieces is quite embarrassing no matter how bad you feel.

Don't expect a 5 star hotel but even an examination in the broom closet would have been better than getting your hole out in a hallway.

EyeSight

There's a difference between a 5 star hotel and a hospital. You should expect at least a tiny private room for a rectal exam, if only for the 2 minutes. It shouldn't matter how much taxes she pays

JustAddWater

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

ah now here,you cant say that about someone:D

especially when your basing it on ?????

cletus van damme

Plazaman wrote: »

Ah now getting a couple of fingers up the jacksy in a public hallway with men, women and children walking by and only a Michael Mouse screen to block the whole world seeing your bits and pieces is quite embarrassing no matter how bad you feel.

Don't expect a 5 star hotel but even an examination in the broom closet would have been better than getting your hole out in a hallway.

maybe not but it boils down to "do you want to be fixed?"

I'm not saying it was a laugh but ffs "man up" - I know she is a women but i don't know the female equivalent...

when I was in "severe abdominal pain" with a "suspected appendicitis" - which I was once upon a time in the dark days of 1997 -
I would have said whatever. not liked it but recognised the greater goal of fixing me.
BTW now I remember I did get that treatment on front of a crowd of junior doctors including a few hotties. consultant/ky jelly/glove etc..... the memories...

Wossack

examined in the corridor like that? bit of a bummer alright

MoonDancer

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

I'd say my cat pays more tax than her and her extended family. Looks like she got lost on the way to the Jeremy Kyle show.

Disgusting comment, hope you don't have to endure treatment like that when you're vunerable.

sillysmiles

cletus van damme wrote: »

story from todays's Indo

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/i-had-to-undergo-internal-exam-in-hospital-corridor-30006977.html



Personally if I had "severe abdominal pains" I'd be happy to be examined in the nip on O'Connell bridge if it sorted the issue and I was seen to by a professional .

Regardless of your person preferences, people are entitled to be treated with dignity with in hospital.

Granted our hospitals are not 5 star hotels but I think we get for the most part better services than other countries.
I'm not saying it wasn't uncomfortable but surely it wasn't newspaper worthy.

Really? What makes you think we get better standards that other countries? Is it the waiting lists? The people in corridors? The misdiagnosis cases?

Do people expect too much and fail to recognise that everything in life isn't nice.
Do you think she is complaining too much ?

I do.

I don't. We are not a third world country (apparently) and these are not acceptable standard of healthcare.

Sir Humphrey Appleby

Well if you don't go private what do you expect.
I have never seen any of these problems occurring in the Beacon or the Mater Private:D:D

Ush1

Do you want to lie in pain for a longer time since we have no free rooms or do you want to feel better quick as possible?

dm09

Bit of a bum deal!

MonstaMash

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

I'd say my cat pays more tax than her and her extended family. Looks like she got lost on the way to the Jeremy Kyle show.

Regardless of your predjudices, she's a human being that deserves a bit of dignity when being examined.

Dravokivich

In my opinion, I can understand if there's beds out in the corridors so patients can rest and wait their turn, but very little more than checking blood pressure, heart rate and temperature should be done in such an open environment while around others.

It's not fair on the person who's getting looked at, but you've also got to take into consideration others that are around while it's happening. It can be very embarrassing.

I'd find it unsettling to be around it, let alone to be the person who's getting looked at in such circumstances.

Ush1

Dravokivich wrote: »

I'd find it unsettling to be around it, let alone to be the person who's getting looked at in such circumstances.

Really? I like to have a good gawk meself. Make sure the doc is gettin' right in there!

sillysmiles

Ush1 wrote: »

Do you want to lie in pain for a longer time since we have no free rooms or do you want to feel better quick as possible?

It shouldn't come to this kind of either or scenario if middle management and hospital management managed beds properly.

Surely there as a room that they could have used to rotate people while being examined.
E.g.they wait in the corridor, are examined in private, return to the corridor and the next person examined.

Hospital staff have a horrible job these days. Inadequate staffing, huge numbers of patients and enormous pressure to get them seen and out asap. It's not surprising this sort of thing happens, but it shouldn't.

Respect for the individual is a cost-free tool that staff have at their disposal and they should make full use of it. A third screen might have made all the difference if a room wasn't available. It's not expecting five-star treatment to want to avoid public display of a very private matter, by the people you're trusting to care for you while you're vulnerable.

Femme_Fatale

Ush1 wrote: »

Do you want to lie in pain for a longer time since we have no free rooms or do you want to feel better quick as possible?

Not the point. The issue is that it had to come to her being internally examined on the corridoor (ooh matron) at all.

This has to be explained to people?

GHOST MGG

Laughing at some people in this thread..they need to have the silver spoons surgically removed..
god forbid its not on a trolley in tallaght hospital for all to see...

Ush1

sillysmiles wrote: »

It shouldn't come to this kind of either or scenario if middle management and hospital management managed beds properly.

Surely there as a room that they could have used to rotate people while being examined.
E.g.they wait in the corridor, are examined in private, return to the corridor and the next person examined.

Have you been in Tallaght A&E? It's not always possible, it's extremely busy and under resourced.

Ush1

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Not the point. The issue is that it had to come to her being internally examined on the corridoor at all.

This has to be explained to people?

Generally in corridors there will only be other staff anyway plus she said she had her back and actually couldn't see the process but saw a divider after. How does she even know it was the same divider?

maggiepip

Ridiculous complaining in my opinion - did she go running to the paper over this? Next thing doctors wont be allowed examine at all unless theres a private room because people like this jump up and down over a small error.

Royal Legend

At least her face was turned away, its not as if anyone would have recognised her and if they did, allowing for her position, then that would be a whole other story

PucaMama

Unbelievable how many people on here don't understand that a patient has a right to privacy no matter if they are private patients or not. I wonder if I was looking after your family members in hospital would it be OK to neglect their privacy because I was busy I don't think so.

keano_afc

Literally 2 fingers up to the public sector.

IvyTheTerrible

I don't understand why people don't get that you should have some basic level of privacy when getting examined in hospital.

wolfpawnat

Should any person be subjected to that, no.

If it decreased my waiting time however, I would pull down my pants fast as anything.

They had flimsy privacy, not great, but better than what it could have been.

anncoates

Well done AH. Classy.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

I'd say my cat pays more tax than her and her extended family. Looks like she got lost on the way to the Jeremy Kyle show.

I didn't see anything in the article about her employment status or tax affairs. What a nasty, snobby remark. Says a lot about you.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Ush1 wrote: »

Generally in corridors there will only be other staff anyway plus she said she had her back and actually couldn't see the process but saw a divider after. How does she even know it was the same divider?

That's not true. There's family members of other patients coming and going all of the time.

sullivlo

Happened me on a trolley in CUH before. I didn't go to the papers about it though! I was grateful to be seen promptly and diagnosed / treated!

Ush1

Javier Kind Bather wrote: »

That's not true. There's family members of other patients coming and going all of the time.

It depends on the corridors. I've been in that A&E a few times(for extended periods) and anytime I've been there, families aren't coming and going all the time. It's mainly staff in the A&E corridors.

Not very advisable to have corridors in an A&E area blocked by members of the public.

IvyTheTerrible

sullivlo wrote: »

Happened me on a trolley in CUH before. I didn't go to the papers about it though! I was grateful to be seen promptly and diagnosed / treated!

But did you have privacy? Would people passing by have been able to see you being examined?
I don't think that the need to be examined promptly excludes the right for dignity while being treated.

Ush1

sullivlo wrote: »

Happened me on a trolley in CUH before. I didn't go to the papers about it though! I was grateful to be seen promptly and diagnosed / treated!

Nobody can see anything when it happens and the examination is a minute and a half.

It would be different if there was no dividers and she saw someone from the public looking at her, she wasn't even facing the right way to know.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Ush1 wrote: »

It depends on the corridors. I've been in that A&E a few times(for extended periods) and anytime I've been there, families aren't coming and going all the time. It's mainly staff in the A&E corridors.

Not very advisable to have corridors in an A&E area blocked by members of the public.

I've been in there several times, as a family member. There were lots of other families around as well. People in A&E are often very seriously ill and they need people with them to ask questions, keep an eye on them, give relevant information to medical staff and support distressed husbands/wives of the ill person.

cletus van damme

anncoates wrote: »

Well done AH. Classy.

please elaborate?
your actual opinion is lost on me...

anncoates

So a health service in a so called developed country of 4. 5 million people where you get an internal examination in a corridor is grand because at least you're being seen. Jesus Fcuking wept.

Sir Humphrey Appleby

Feck sake, some people posting here need hospital treatment themselves, for a sense of humour transplant!

Valetta

More sensationalist crap.

How are "flimsy screens" any fifferent to flimsy curtains pulled around a bed in a ward, with equal numbers of people around?

Ush1

If people are complaining about the HSE, surely this is more pertinent:

Ciara (28) said that she waited for seven hours in the emergency ward before being fully examined by doctors.

These doctors and nurses were trying to do their best so she wasn't waiting even longer.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Valetta wrote: »

More sensationalist crap.

How are "flimsy screens" any fifferent to flimsy curtains pulled around a bed in a ward, with equal numbers of people around?

I don't think they normally do internal examinations in a ward during visiting hours.

Valetta

Javier Kind Bather wrote: »

I don't think they normally do internal examinations in a ward during visiting hours.

I think you'll find they do.

I have been there.

maggiepip

PucaMama wrote: »

Unbelievable how many people on here don't understand that a patient has a right to privacy no matter if they are private patients or not. I wonder if I was looking after your family members in hospital would it be OK to neglect their privacy because I was busy I don't think so.

To be fair I would imagine everybody agrees with you. I certainly fully agree every patient deserves privacy. But making a huge song and dance to the papers over this is not the way to go. The staff were careless in not clicking the screen together and left a small gap. Im not saying its right but these things can happen. Nurses and doctors are absolutely rushed off their feet in A &E so now we want to hang them for everything? The goal was to try and diagnose this woman and unfortunately in haste they omitted to click the screen. While it shouldn't have happened I dont see it as the absolute end of the world.

Gatling

I've had a lot worse in tallaght hospital ,
Some people!
I've had a catheter inserted in a corridor no screens no blanket covering anything ,

anncoates

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

I'd say my cat pays more tax than her and her extended family. Looks like she got lost on the way to the Jeremy Kyle show.

She just looks normal to me?

I can't see any indication in the article to indicate she's unemployed or in receipt of a medical card? Do you think that everybody that presents to Tallaght hospital in an emergency doesn't have health insurance?

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Valetta wrote: »

I think you'll find they do.

I have been there.

Well that shouldn't have happened either. I doubt it's usual practice.

Frigga_92

A friend of mine was in Waterford Regional with a serious head injury. He was unconscious overnight, during this time he was lying in a hospital corridor and only moved for x-rays and scans, and eventually the next morning he started to come around. When he woke up he was dying for a wee. They wouldn't let him go for ages and eventually after waiting 4 hours from the time he woke up, we managed to get one of the nurses to agree to let him have a "bottle" to wee into (not sure what the medical term is for these but you know what I'm talking about and I don't mean a 7up bottle). He took the bottle off the nurse and we all moved away expecting the nurse to bring some screens over but no, she just walked off and left him to it. We ended up using our coats to shield him from view. On one side of us there was an older man with his kids and grandkids and across the way from us there was a man and woman with a young girl.

This kind of stuff happens everywhere and doesn't surprise me at all.

donegal__road

on a more positive note, we have some of the best equine hospitals in Europe.. you wouldn't find a horse on a trolley in a corridor in Ireland!

knarkypants

maggiepip wrote: »

To be fair I would imagine everybody agrees with you. I certainly fully agree every patient deserves privacy. But making a huge song and dance to the papers over this is not the way to go. The staff were careless in not clicking the screen together and left a small gap. Im not saying its right but these things can happen. Nurses and doctors are absolutely rushed off their feet in A &E so now we want to hang them for everything? The goal was to try and diagnose this woman and unfortunately in haste they omitted to click the screen. While it shouldn't have happened I dont see it as the absolute end of the world.

I don't think it's a bad thing to highlight the strains and conditions nurses, doctors and patients are being subjected to in hospitals.

I do think she could have gone about in a better way though.

ScumLord

I go to hospital to get fixed, I'd be happy if they could do it at the front door so I could turn around and walk out again when they're done.

I don't see how that's any more embarrassing than having a gaggle of Junior doctors standing around in a group looking up your hole while the head doctor guy pays more attention to having a chat with one of the hot doctors than he does to the poor spa in the bed with is arse cocked in the air. Which is the inevitable next step if you're kept in.

Femme_Fatale

I'ma go with preferring medical professionals looking up my ass in private than... it being done in a public corridoor. Those who say that's no problem are lying or not the sharpest.

sullivlo wrote: »

Happened me on a trolley in CUH before. I didn't go to the papers about it though! I was grateful to be seen promptly and diagnosed / treated!

An ass examination? Why should you be "grateful"? It's their job. It's not diva-ish to object to the conditions that lead to it being carried out in a corridoor rather than a private area.

cletus van damme wrote: »

please elaborate?
your actual opinion is lost on me...

Shur you know full well what was meant.

Ush1 wrote: »

These doctors and nurses were trying to do their best so she wasn't waiting even longer.

People aren't blaming the doctors and nurses (rightly).