Pensioner had severe stomach pains
A SICK woman of 91 was left languishing in A&E for 13 hours – and then discharged without being offered a bed.
The pensioner, suffering from severe stomach pains, arrived at Letterkenny University Hospital, Co Donegal, at 1.50pm on Monday but was forced to leave at 3am on Tuesday.
She had been attended to by two doctors but did not get a bed and was eventually sent home.
Her furious family have highlighted the incident in a bid to prevent others suffering such an ordeal.
County councillor Jack Murray, who was contacted by the woman’s family, pain. We should consider a priority waiting list so that the elderly or the especially vulnerable can be attended to quicker.”
Cllr Murray said the woman’s relatives said they contacted him in a bid to highlight the horrific conditions staff are being forced to work in at the hospital.
However, he added he wanted to stress that the woman’s family were in said a priority list must be put in place for people who are especially vulnerable.
He added: “I think we have to accept the situation at Letterkenny Hospital is horrendous – but there are no excuses why a 91-year-old woman has to be
Letterkenny University Hospital forced to wait 13 hours. “It’s different if I go in as a young man with a football injury but people of this age should not be forced to wait in no way blaming staff at the hospital for the woman’s marathon waiting time.
He added: “They contacted me as they want to simply highlight what is going on but we all know that is happening on a daily basis.
“[Staff ] were nothing but professional and courteous to the woman.”
Letterkenny University Hospital is regularly among the most overcrowded hospitals in the country.
This week the hospital issued a public appeal asking people not to attend the accident and emergency ward unless it was absolutely necessary and to attend their GP instead.