HIQA asked to Investigate the Health Outcomes for Patients as 11 Ambulances forced to Wait outside Drogheda A&E – Tóibín
Cathaoirleach of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign Peadar Tóibín TD has called on HIQA to investigate the backup of 11 ambulances in Drogheda on Saturday night where patients had to wait up to 5 hours just to be taken off the ambulances. Peadar Tóibín TD state;
On Saturday night there was total chaos at at the A&E in Drogheda. 11 ambulances were forced to wait up to 5 hours to deliver seriously ill and injured patients to Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda A&E. The A&E was under such pressure that there was not enough capacity or staff to deal with the incoming patients. There were no available beds, trollies or chairs in the A&E. This obviously delayed treatment to these patients. We know that delayed diagnosis and delayed treatment lead to worse outcomes for patients. Indeed 360 patients a year die as a result of overcrowding in A&Es. Turning Drogheda A&E into an Ambulance car park on a busy Saturday night also has the effect of taking badly needed ambulances out of service for those who are in desperate need of an ambulance at home”.
“It abundantly clear that HIQA need to investigate what effect this is having on the health outcome for patients in the region. This is particularly important as the HSE plan to close Navan A&E to ambulances in triage level 1 and 2 category patients in a weeks’ time. This will obviously mean more ambulances to be forced to travel to Drogheda A&E. Doctors, medics, and consultants in Drogheda have written a letter to the Minister for Health to state that this would be a threat to the health and lives of patients. Indeed they said hat patients could die”.
“We are staring down the barrel of an unmitigated health disaster for the 400,000 people who live in Louth and Meath. The Minister must stop this decision being implemented before its too late. HIQA must be allowed to investigate whats happening and patients lives must be protected. The Save Navan Hospital Campaign will meet in the Newgrange Hotel, in Navan on Wednesday at 8pm to develop a plan to challenge the Minister’s decision in the Courts, on the streets and in the Dáil”.
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