Danny Healy-Rae: Elderly Patients Left 24-48 Hours in Corridors
Danny Healy-Rae criticised the treatment of elderly patients in hospital, saying they are being removed from their beds and left in corridors for 24 to 48 hours. He said doctors are not to be found in the evenings or late at night and called on ministers to ensure a warm bed is available on admission.
He described elderly people being taken out of their beds because doctors are not to be found evening time or late at night. He said ambulances are used to transfer these patients and they can end up waiting in corridors for 24 to 48 hours, with weekends making the problem worse.
He referred to patients being taken from their 'worn beds' that they have had a long time and mentioned family involvement in ambulance transfers. He highlighted that the affected are often elderly people in their 70s, 80s and even 90s.
He opened by wishing the new ministers well and urged them to listen. He asked ministers to take action to ensure there is a bed ready for each incoming patient so elderly people are not left in corridors.
He singled out University Hospital in Kerry as a place where people can wait up to 48 hours to get into a ward. He described the situation as totally and absolutely wrong and said that waiting in corridors for such lengths of time 'is not on ministers.'
He spoke in a frustrated and urgent tone, saying the situation 'drives people absolutely mad' and repeatedly calling for immediate remedies to prevent long corridor waits.
Main complaint
He described elderly people being taken out of their beds because doctors are not to be found evening time or late at night. He said ambulances are used to transfer these patients and they can end up waiting in corridors for 24 to 48 hours, with weekends making the problem worse.
Patient examples and ages
He referred to patients being taken from their 'worn beds' that they have had a long time and mentioned family involvement in ambulance transfers. He highlighted that the affected are often elderly people in their 70s, 80s and even 90s.
Appeal to ministers
He opened by wishing the new ministers well and urged them to listen. He asked ministers to take action to ensure there is a bed ready for each incoming patient so elderly people are not left in corridors.
Hospital named and consequences
He singled out University Hospital in Kerry as a place where people can wait up to 48 hours to get into a ward. He described the situation as totally and absolutely wrong and said that waiting in corridors for such lengths of time 'is not on ministers.'
Tone and urgency
He spoke in a frustrated and urgent tone, saying the situation 'drives people absolutely mad' and repeatedly calling for immediate remedies to prevent long corridor waits.
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Transcript
Thank you very much, John Corley. First of all, I want to wish the new ministers across all the very best in their work and we try to work the best we can with you. There's a lot of health issues in Kerry presenting to elderly people and that's what we're talking about. But a lot of people, young and old, are experiencing not the health service that they would expect. But there's one thing that's driving people still absolutely mad. Ministers, I would appreciate it if you could listen to me for one second. There's elderly people being taken out of their beds because doctors are not to be found evening time or late at night and they finish up, they're taking an ambulance out of their worn beds that they maybe have given a long time in Sidon because they got sick for one reason or another. And they finish up over, taking an ambulance out by family and they finish up in corridors for 24, 48 hours and if it is the weekend, without anybody seeing them in the corridor. Thanks, dear. That's totally and absolutely wrong and I'm asking to do something to ensure that there's a bed there for the person that's coming out of a bed, a warm bed, an elderly person in their 70s, 80s and even 90s waiting for 48 hours in the corridor to get into a ward in University Hospital in Kerry is not on ministers. Thank you, dear.