‘The pain was unmerciful,’ says pensioner with back injury left in a chair for six hours
A PENSIONER who suffered severe bruising after falling down a stairs was kept on a chair at a Dublin hospital for almost six hours without even a trolley being made available for her.
St Vincent’s University Hospital was one of the most chaotic in the country yesterday – with 30 patients on trolleys.
Elizabeth O’Connor (70), from Milltown, who also has scoliosis, had severe bruising all the way up her back, along with damage to her eye socket.
Ms O’Connor arrived at the hospital just before 5.30pm on Wednesday and was seen to within the first hour. However, she wasn’t moved from a chair within the triage unit until around 11.30pm.
The elderly lady was kept overnight in order to have a brain scan
“I’m alright, it’s just a haemorrhage at the back of the eye. I fell down the stairs, so I’m all bruised at the back,” she said.
“The nurses are run off their feet, they’re doing a great job. I was on a chair first, then I was on a trolley for two hours and went into a little room with a bed in it (around 2.30am).
“It was unmerciful – the pain of sitting down on it. Lying down is the best thing, when you’re sitting you feel it in your back,” she added.
Another man, who did not wish to be named, said his mother–whoh-ad pneumonia – was on a trolley for three days. However, he said there were no complaints once she was being treated.
“She’s been in there for a few days now,” he said.
“She’s on a trolley, but the trolley is very comfortable and is like any bed.
“Whilst it’s not ideal, when you need something – and she had togo in in a hurry three nights ago – she’s happy and we’re happy.”
The hospital was contacted for comment but did not respond at the time of going to print.