A Foretaste of A&E Chaos as Ambulance Refuses to Bring Elderly Patient to Navan A&E

A Foretaste of A&E Chaos as Ambulance Refuses to Bring Elderly Patient to Navan A&E – Tóibín

Aontú leader and Chair of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign Peadar Tóibín TD has been told of an incredible case of A&E chaos has an elderly patient is refused access to Navan A&E. According to An Teachta Tóibín;

“I have been told incredible information about an elderly patient who suffered a serious fall on Friday night less than 250 metres from Navan A&E. The patient identity does not want his identity disclosed”

“An 82 year old man fell in a nursing home which adjoins Navan Hospital at 7pm on Friday evening last. An ambulance was called for and one had to come all the way from Dublin to pick him up. The family requested that the elderly man be brought next door to Navan A&E. The ambulance drivers refused to do this, indicating that they have been told not to bring the patient to Navan A&E but to bring him to Drogheda. Even when the family protested this, the Ambulance drivers insisted on Drogheda and said that their jobs depended on it. This despite the road is closed between Navan and Drogheda. The ambulance had to travel for miles and miles on diverted country roads to get to Drogheda”.

“The patient did not arrive to Drogheda until 11pm on Friday. His sister who is 80 years old had to drive from Navan to Drogheda on these same diverted country roads. Because of the overcrowding in Drogheda the man was not seen for hours. His elderly had to sit with him as he was agitated. Nurses in Drogheda took bloods then decided to do a scan at 8am in the morning. This did not happen in the end as the patient was too agitated and the medics said he wasn’t still enough for the scan. The staff in Drogheda then called an ambulance to take the patient back to Navan A&E. This ambulance did not arrive at Drogheda until 8pm on Saturday evening, over 24 hours after the accident happened to collect the elderly man. The 82 year old man was left lying on a trolley all that time and there was confusion among staff in Navan and Drogheda was to is location”.

“This begs the questions, is the HSE already reducing patient access to Navan by diverting ambulances away from Navan A&E, even from its own door step? Why are they doing it when the road between the two towns is closed. Why are they sending a patient to a far longer wating time in Drogheda than dealing with them in Navan? What was the cost, as the ambulance was out of service in helping others for a far longer period. The Minister must answer these life and death questions”.

CRÍOCH

The Irish political system is radically broken

In Ireland the vast majority of elected representatives put a finger in the air to check which way the political wind is blowing. They have one eye on their leaders – seeking brownie points – and another eye keeping their seat safe. If elected reps shut up and do as they’re told, they are promoted; if they stand up for what they believe in, they are demoted. No wonder we have the political class we have. No wonder one point one billion euro is being buried in a hole under the National Children’s Hospital and that Stormont is in stalemate.

Throughout Ireland, many people are now afraid to say what they feel, many are afraid to respectfully engage on a range of different topics. Many feel there is a new censorship and a new political correctness in Ireland, that opposition to the establishment is being deleted.

Respectful opposition is not the enemy. Respectful opposition is a critical element of a functional democracy. Aontú will have the backbone to stand up, without fear, for you.