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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.

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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.

[Deleted User]

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?

[Deleted User]

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