please dont get ill in ireland

lost marbles · 16-12-2008 4:29pm #1

had to bring my mum to tallaght hospital yesterday .on her gps advise .now this lady is an oap in her seventys .
arrived at 12.45pm and should have known something was amiss when a guy who was obviously in pain asked me for directions to the beacon clinic ,while i was parking the car .
checked in at 12.50pm and was left waiting and waiting .seen a triage nurse who told my mum that her condition was needing urgent attention and as soon as a cubicle became free she was in .
5pm and i went to see what the hold up was .i was told that they had [now i dont know the exact amount ]either 113 or 130 patients in the a+e and they had no room for any more .
she got called into the a+e at 12.15am this morning .i went in with her ,and the site that greeted me was nothing short of one of those disaster movies every available space had a trolly with a patient on it .down every corridor ,people on chairs ,nurses working from only can be discribed as a food trolly and a shelf .
eventully seen a doctor at 2am behind a screen while two guards had a prisoner in handcuffs right beside her .
what dignity does that give an oap
3.30am a second doctor decides to retain her
and i see from the papers today that theres a little plan to curtail even more a+e services [WHAT A F##KIN JOKE THE HSE IS ]
shes still up in tallaght this morning on a trolly outside a toilet and the situtation looks even worse today
so good people of ireland
dont get ill
because the whole a+e experience will probably make you worse
rant rant rant :mad:

Dave! · 16-12-2008 4:33pm

Sorry to hear that!

Don't think I've ever been in A&E actually

Certainly not since I was a kid

I don't fancy it

Hope yer mam gets better soon

seamus · 16-12-2008 4:44pm

Tallaght A & E is a complete ****hole. If you can, avoid going to Tallaght and go to Naas instead.

The primary reason is because every scumbag and criminal in 5 mile radius uses Tallaght as their local GP.

Berty · 16-12-2008 4:45pm

I am sorry for your troubles. Lets hope she is fit and out of that place soon.

I am glad I have private medical Insurance and can be seen in the A&E of a private hospital hearing stories like this.

Things are only going to get worse. Nobody is safe in the recession.

Quazzie · 16-12-2008 4:46pm

My wife works in the hospital, so i always get to skip the queue whenever I need it.

Sorry to hear about your mam though

Berty · 16-12-2008 4:47pm

seamus wrote: »

The primary reason is because every scumbag and criminal in 5 mile radius uses Tallaght as their local GP.

Im afraid this is the curse of the unregulated and non means tested medical card to anybody in social housing which Im afraid Tallaght has a lot of.

Orange69 · 16-12-2008 4:49pm

The sad fact is that Ireland is and will continue to be a developing country... Its not a place i would want to grow old in...

My dad had been in and out of hospitals in Ireland for years, if it wasnt for my sister being a nurse and constantly pointing out the doctors and other nurses incompetence he would be dead 5 times over by now...

Vote FF if you want more of this!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 16-12-2008 4:50pm

seamus wrote: »

Tallaght A & E is a complete ****hole. If you can, avoid going to Tallaght and go to Naas instead.

The primary reason is because every scumbag and criminal in 5 mile radius uses Tallaght as their local GP.

I thought the opposite, I think tallaght A&E is better than most. Kilkenny is a dump (Basing that on one experience, maybe I am being harsh), I didn't like naas either, reminded me of death.

Actually are there any good hospitals in Ireland? Apart from the maternity hospital in Cork, the new one.

Quazzie · 16-12-2008 4:55pm

Florence Fit Salon wrote: »

I thought the opposite, I think tallaght A&E is better than most. Kilkenny is a dump (Basing that on one experience, maybe I am being harsh), I didn't like naas either, reminded me of death.

Actually are there any good hospitals in Ireland? Apart from the maternity hospital in Cork, the new one.

I don't think so. I was discharged from Tullamore General with a broken leg on crutches but what they couldnt tell me, even after 7 x-rays that my arm was also broken. So I was discharged on crutched with an untreated broken arm.

And thats only the start of the things I could say about them.

DublinWriter · 16-12-2008 5:01pm

Berty wrote: »

I am glad I have private medical Insurance and can be seen in the A&E of a private hospital hearing stories like this.(

If you think that having private medical insurance will prevent you from ever going through the horrors of the public health system then think again my friend.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 16-12-2008 5:03pm

Q2002 wrote: »

I don't think so. I was discharged from Tullamore General with a broken leg on crutches but what they couldnt tell me, even after 7 x-rays that my arm was also broken. So I was discharged on crutched with an untreated broken arm.

And thats only the start of the things I could say about them.

Yea, true... I have had some crappy experiences with them. I think I was a bit hard on kilkenny hospital, it's actually pretty good.

I guess I have been to tallaght more and most of my family use tallaght, so my views have been distorted somewhat? I was discharged once from tallaght with a dislocated knee cap, torn ligiments and torn cartilage. I got one crutch, lucky I had my friend with me.

lost marbles · 16-12-2008 5:04pm

Florence Fit Salon wrote: »

I thought the opposite, I think tallaght A&E is better than most. Kilkenny is a dump (Basing that on one experience, maybe I am being harsh), I didn't like naas either, reminded me of death.

Actually are there any good hospitals in Ireland? Apart from the maternity hospital in Cork, the new one.

now im not getting at you xavier but i dont think you could get much worse than the conditions in tallaght atm. from the staff trying to do any kind of work .to the dignity of the ill people
and btw this is,nt my first experience with the place ive been back and forth for a few years now .but this time the situtation really got to me

macshadow · 16-12-2008 5:05pm

Berty wrote: »

I am sorry for your troubles. Lets hope she is fit and out of that place soon.

I am glad I have private medical Insurance and can be seen in the A&E of a private hospital hearing stories like this.

Things are only going to get worse. Nobody is safe in the recession.

How many private hospitals have an A&E? Where are they located?

seamus · 16-12-2008 5:09pm

Berty wrote: »

I am glad I have private medical Insurance and can be seen in the A&E of a private hospital hearing stories like this.

Health insurance is useful after the fact or if something can be seen from a good while away.

In an emergency, you will be brought to the nearest hospital and you will stay there until you you're discharged, health insurance or not.

Berty · 16-12-2008 5:10pm

macshadow wrote: »

How many private hospitals have an A&E? Where are they located?

I dont know about where they are ALL located because I only concern myself with the ones near me.

There is the Galway Clinic and there is one being built on the Dock Road in Limerick.

murfie · 16-12-2008 5:11pm

To make it worse what do they announce today! They are doing a review of a&e to downscale!! what a joke of a healthservice and they actually want to reduce certain services in the A&E. Expect 12 day waiting periods instead of 12 hours if they are let do what they want with the health service!!

lost marbles · 16-12-2008 5:15pm

macshadow wrote: »

How many private hospitals have an A&E? Where are they located?

afaik all the swiftcare ,beacon ,etc you can go and pay 105e and be seen to in about 1 hour .
grand if you need a couple of stiches or a sprain ,but if you need any other medical attention atall they will refere you to an a+e department in the public hospitals .and then the fun begins :mad:

Berty · 16-12-2008 5:15pm

seamus wrote: »

Health insurance is useful after the fact or if something can be seen from a good while away.

In an emergency, you will be brought to the nearest hospital and you will stay there until you you're discharged, health insurance or not.

Of course but as an emergency patient you are seen immediately if you come as an emergency. I would either be put in a private room OR if unavailable transferred to a private hospital.

If I was told by my doctor I needed further tests to be done in a hospital I would drive to either Cork or Galway. I would not go to a public hospital on account of the waiting time.

Absolutely nothing to do with the quality of care I must point out.

jester77 · 16-12-2008 7:13pm

I must stop complaining about the high price of my heath insurance, at least I get looked after and don't have to pay a doctor every time I see them! It's a sad state of affairs that the system is so bad after the economic boom the government had over the last decade

skelliser · 16-12-2008 7:13pm

Sorry, but you are completly misguided, yes its true that you can go to private A+E's, theres one in the galway clinic, but its only open from 10-7, after that its off to the public hospital. Plus if there is sometime seriously wrong with you they will said you to a public hospital, fact.
you will not be transfered to another private hospital!

Private health is only useful after the fact.

Berty wrote: »

I would either be put in a private room OR if unavailable transferred to a private hospital.

your havin a laugh if you believe this!!

steo87 · 16-12-2008 7:14pm

Why the hell are we as a people putting up with this crap? Why can't we do what the French (!) would do and protest about the state of our 'health' service until something is done about it?

To paraphase some famous bloke, a nation is judged by how it treats its youth, elderly and sick.

The government is able to bail out the banks with billions but it can't find a few million to put into the hospitals? What the hell is going on?

What a disgusting government we have.

That Harney one should be ashamed.

Thoughts, opinions etc

Mark200 · 16-12-2008 7:15pm

lost marbles wrote: »

had to bring my mum to tallaght hospital yesterday .on her gps advise .now this lady is an oap in her seventys .
arrived at 12.45pm and should have known something was amiss when a guy who was obviously in pain asked me for directions to the beacon clinic ,while i was parking the car .

At least her gps didn't send her the wrong way down a one way street

steo87 · 16-12-2008 7:15pm

P.S Boards is acting up....i didnt include that <br> stuff?!

_____________________________________________________

Why the hell are we as a people putting up with this crap? Why can't we do what the French (!) would do and protest about the state of our 'health' service until something is done about it?

To paraphase some famous bloke, a nation is judged by how it treats its youth, elderly and sick.

The government is able to bail out the banks with billions but it can't find a few million to put into the hospitals? What the hell is going on?

What a disgusting government we have.

That Harney one should be ashamed.

Thoughts, opinions etc

stovelid · 16-12-2008 7:20pm

Sorry to hear about that OP. 
I've only had to use Tallaght a/e once (bringing a friend down) 
and the wait was OK. Guess we were just lucky.

Berty · 16-12-2008 8:04pm

skelliser wrote: »

your havin a laugh if you believe this!!

Not everything that happens to other people is what happens to everybody. I have private health Insurance and Im Entitled to a private room in a private hospital, failing that a private room in a private hospital.

Yes, sometimes a private room in a public hospital is not available and when it is not WE(me and GF) get moved to a private hospital at the health insurance companies expense(charged to our claim). We pay for these benefits so we ENFORCE them. I have had many arguments with matrons(GF has incurable disease so constantly in and out of hospital) about moving to a private hospital. They are always arguing that it is never done. Its BS because it does happen and it is an entitlement. I pay for private health care and will not accept sharing a room. If I was willing to share a room I would pay less or nothing at all.

Not everybody is hard done by in life. If you want better health care pay for it or go looking for a medical card.

The emergency room in Galway is closed to non emergency cases(oxymoron I know) but you can be transferred to this hospital 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

DublinWriter · 16-12-2008 8:20pm

Berty wrote: »

Not everybody is hard done by in life. If you want better health care pay for it or go looking for a medical card.

I don't know if you've looked around you lately or not, but most if us have private health insurance.

As several posters have pointed out, it really is a fat lot of good to you in this country. Those private A&E clinics only provide certain types of first level triage and even then under 'office' hours.

I tried to get my late Mum her own room in Beaumont when she had terminal cancer a year ago without success. I couldn't even get her her own room in the hospice and she had Bupa at the time.

You really need to wake up to the fact that private health insurance in this country isn't the magic passport that you seem to think it is.

The_Minister · 16-12-2008 8:35pm

steo87 wrote: »

The government is able to bail out the banks with billions but it can't find a few million to put into the hospitals? What the hell is going on?

I know that you are being emotive but I'd just like to point out that if the banks started collapsing, or keep up the restrictive lending policies they have at the moment, then it could cost us a multiple of what we offered them.

DublinWriter there are different levels of health insurance.
And your smiley is broken.

Terry · 16-12-2008 8:57pm

I went there a few months ago after splitting my finger open.

I had gone to my local surgery (my GP had just died) and the locum wasn't able to stitch my finger.
He referred me to Tallaght and I was out of there in about 2 hours with the adult version of a lollipop.

I found the staff to be great.
They x-rayed my finger to see if there was any damage beyond superficial.
They spoke nicely to the drunk on the trolley (they seemed to know him and he seemed to be a regular visitor).
The bandage they used on my finger before I got the stitches wasn't good enough and I was bleeding all over the place. The blood was mopped up within minutes. They also put on a fresh bandage.

I'm quite squeamish when it comes to my own blood and they were really nice as I went whiter than I normally am and I felt very little pain as they stitched my finger.

A very nice experience all around.

The thing is though, I didn't just walk in off the street.
I went to my GP first and he gave me a letter.

There were plenty of people who were there before me, but were not seen to by the time I was leaving.

Edit: I don't have medical insurance.

Elessar · 16-12-2008 9:00pm

Berty wrote: »

Of course but as an emergency patient you are seen immediately if you come as an emergency.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Define "emergency". If you're one of those that think by calling an ambulance you're automatically put on the priority list or will be seen to straight away when you get to A&E you are in for a surprise.

I would either be put in a private room OR if unavailable transferred to a private hospital.

Nope.

ImDave · 16-12-2008 9:04pm

A&E activity for today. Tallaght is one of two hospitals in the country with one or more patients waiting >24 hours for admission.

http://www.hse.ie/eng/ed/16th_December_08_Emergency_Dept_Activity.PDF

It was worse yesterday.

TequilaMockingBird · 16-12-2008 9:22pm

Berty wrote: »

Im afraid this is the curse of the unregulated and non means tested medical card to anybody in social housing

Have you ever tried to get a medical card?! Your statement is completely wrong.

Berty wrote: »

Of course but as an emergency patient you are seen immediately if you come as an emergency. I would either be put in a private room OR if unavailable transferred to a private hospital.

Also, completely untrue.

skelliser · 16-12-2008 9:23pm

berty, from the jest of your other posts i gathered, and i could have taken you up wrong, that you think that when you arrive to a public A&E that you will be put into a private room or transfered to a private hospital because you have private health insurance, if you believe this you are completly and utterly misguided.
I really hope iv taken you up wrong.

I have private health and have been to A&E loads of times and you are treated like everyone else. Private health insurance only kicks in after you've been admitted or if your referred by your doctor to a consultant.

lost marbles · 16-12-2008 9:23pm

ImDave wrote: »

A&E activity for today. Tallaght is one of two hospitals in the country with one or more patients waiting >24 hours for admission.

http://www.hse.ie/eng/ed/16th_December_08_Emergency_Dept_Activity.PDF

A BLOODY DISGRACE :mad: and whats the limit before a state of emergency is declared .............i think its 35 ??

DublinWriter · 16-12-2008 9:27pm

Terry wrote: »

I had gone to my local surgery (my GP had just died) and the locum wasn't able to stitch my finger.

Therein lies another problem.

A lot of local GPs act as 'gatekeepers' for A&E and refer a lot of cases which they shouldn't. In this litigious age they refer almost *everything* that doesn't present more than a simple infection to their local A&E.

A&E itself is the secondary gatekeeper. For example, when I worked in Brussels I woke up one day with blood allover my pillow from a burst ear-drum. Down to the local hospital and referred straight to the ENT department bypassing A&E and saw several ENT specialists and consultants within an hour.

It's very easy to blame 'admin' staff for the woes of the Irish Health Service, but in my view the entire system needs to be over-hauled holistically.

Terry · 16-12-2008 10:01pm

DublinWriter wrote: »

Therein lies another problem.

A lot of local GPs act as 'gatekeepers' for A&E and refer a lot of cases which they shouldn't. In this litigious age they refer almost *everything* that doesn't present more than a simple infection to their local A&E.

A&E itself is the secondary gatekeeper. For example, when I worked in Brussels I woke up one day with blood allover my pillow from a burst ear-drum. Down to the local hospital and referred straight to the ENT department bypassing A&E and saw several ENT specialists and consultants within an hour.

It's very easy to blame 'admin' staff for the woes of the Irish Health Service, but in my view the entire system needs to be over-hauled holistically.

In fairness to the locum, he looked like he was just out of medical school.
My old GP would have thrown a few stitches in himself.

He did seem a bit frightened at the aspect of putting stitches in.

He just cleaned it up and sent me on my way.

The litigation thing does play a part though.
Something I can't stand is people making claims for the most pointless things.
I've been a passenger in numerous car crashes and I've never made a claim. I hate the whole claim culture thing.

I was once knocked off my bicycle by a moped and I didn't claim for that either. It was my fault for being drunk and trying to cycle home.
My hip was sore for a few months afterwards, but I just sucked it up.
Too many people looking for unneeded compo in this country.

LordSutch · 06-01-2015 11:12pm

How come A&E is now being called Emergency department ? ? ?

When did it change from A&E?

I thought A&E was a much better description of the department.

The_Valeyard · 06-01-2015 11:23pm

I was f*cking disgusted listening to the radio this morning with that lady refusing to answering questions on the budget for the hospitals or whether the hospitals were safe or not, made my blood boil, and I do not anger easily.

Gatling · 06-01-2015 11:25pm

LordSutch wrote: »

How come A&E is now being called Emergency department ? ? ?

When did it change from A&E?

I thought A&E was a much better description of the department.

You waited 6 years to ask

Highflyer13 · 06-01-2015 11:26pm

We have a not functioning health system that wouldn't look out of place in a third world country. A shocking indictment on successive governments.

Trebor176 · 06-01-2015 11:27pm

OP, I'm sorry to hear about your mother, and I hope she'll be ok soon. I did see a picture on Facebook of an elderly woman of 87, who was left on a chair with chest pain for over 16 hours, which is absolutely disgraceful. No person, especially an elderly person, should ever be subject to this sort of thing. She looked so uncomfortable.

I had been in Tallaght A&E around six years ago, and despite things seeming rather quiet there, I was waiting several hours (including being triaged) before I was finally sent for further examination. I was on a trolley for a while, but I was luckily given a bed in a unit within the A&E before being sent to the wards a couple of days later.

I have to say that the care I received both in A&E, the unit and up on the wards was exemplary. The nurses in general are really being stretched to the limit now, due to overcrowding and short staffing. I'm not surprised to read of nurses being reduced to tears from the stress, but they can some how carry on and give excellent care to patients. And God knows that some patients can treat the nurses with such contempt, they really shouldn't be treated at all. They are very much underpaid for the excellent work that they do.

06-01-2015 11:29pm

Thread is from 2008. I'd hope the OP's mam has been seen by now.

please dont get ill in ireland

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