‘Our brother was lying dead in A&E for up to 12 hours’
Heartbroken family question why staff did not check on Brian (40)
A MAN found dead in a hospital waiting area was slouched over in a chair for nearly 12 hours, according to his heartbroken family.
CCTV footage shows Brian Hamilton (40), from Crumlin, Dublin, arriving at Tallaght Hospital’s emergency department around 2am on Saturday.
His family have been told he appears to have gone to the toilet and returned to the seating area about 4am. But from that point on, until nearly 12 hours later, it seems nobody approached him until a member of staff spotted he was dead in the chair.
“We just cannot understand how he could have been left so long. Surely there should be some protocol to check on people,” his sister Paula told the Irish Independent. She said Mr Hamilton (inset) came from a good and loving home where his parents worked hard. She said: “Brian was a soft soul but he had his demons.”
His brother Michael added: “He had problems with alcohol, and he was doing his best to address them. To get treatment he had to register as homeless to get into the Simon detox centre, but he wasn’t sleeping rough on the streets.”
A spokesman for Tallaght University Hospital confirmed a person passed away in the waiting area of the hospital’s emergency department on Saturday afternoon. The spokeswoman said it couldn’t comment any further as the matter was the subject of a Garda investigation.
A MAN found dead in a hospital waiting area was slouched over in a chair for nearly 12 hours, according to his heartbroken family.
CCTV footage shows Brian Hamilton (40), from Crumlin, arriving at Tallaght Hospital’s emergency department at around 2am on Saturday.
His family have been told he appears to have gone to the toilet and returned to the seating area at around 4am.
But from that point on until nearly 12 hours later it seems nobody approached him until a member of staff spotted he was dead in the chair, half slumped over, and with his arm outstretched beside him.
“We just cannot understand how he could have been left so long. Surely there should be some protocol to check on people,” his sister Paula told the Irish Independent.
“We are all still only getting over the death of our mother in May last year, something which affected Brian badly, and now we are trying to get our heads around this.”
She said Mr Hamilton came from a good and loving home where his parents worked hard and he and his five brothers and sisters had a good upbringing.
“Brian was a soft soul but he had his demons.”
Brother Michael added: “He had problems with alcohol, and he was doing his best to address them. When our mother was alive she was a crutch for him, but after she died it was harder for him.
“To get treatment he had to register as homeless to get into the Simon detox centre, but he wasn’t sleeping rough on the streets. He wasn’t homeless in that sense.
“Brian was in touch with us regularly. He was in Simon until last week in the residential rehabilitation unit. It was his third time there since mam died. He was really good when he was with Simon, but then he would fall into the same hole when he got out,” he added.
“We had his 40th birthday party here last November, with no alcohol, and he was doing great,” said his sister.
Mr Hamilton did not approach the registration desk when he entered the hospital in the early hours of Saturday morning, and his family do not know why he was there in the first place.
Security
“Whatever the situation, we can’t understand why someone from behind the desk, or some of the security or other staff, did not wonder about Brian being where he was for so long, or why he wasn’t moved on when morning came around,” said his sister.
“We respect all the doctors and nurses that work in the hospital, and we know the pressure they are under. We just can’t understand that lack of attention in that waiting room.”
Mr Hamilton was the second youngest of six children. “He was good at boxing, and had two Dublin medals with the club in Drimnagh. He loved Man United too,” said his brother.
A spokesman for Tallaght University Hospital confirmed a person passed away in the waiting area of the hospital’s emergency department on Saturday.
“Management at the hospital are co-operating with gardaí in their investigations and an internal review will also be initiated immediately into the circumstances of the incident. The hospital would like to extend its condolences to the family of the deceased.”
The hospital refused to say what level of staffing was in place at the A&E over Saturday night and Sunday. It also declined to say what its policy is in relation to people who use the waiting area for shelter but do not need medical care.
The hospital spokeswoman said: “The hospital cannot comment beyond the statement as the matter is the subject of a Garda investigation.”
We respect all of the doctors and nurses that work in the hospital. But we just can’t understand that lack of attention in that waiting room