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Care Opinion

Things need to change

Posted By pilingsmq59

"Things need to change"

About: Daisy Hill Hospital / Emergency Department

(as a relative),

I took my mum who is in her eighties to A&E on advice of GP. We arrived mid afternoon to a packed waiting room. I stood outside in rain for 3 hours until there was space inside. I appreciate it that it was a very busy day but my complaint is that the hospital shop was closed, the coffee Dock shut at 7pm and the vending machines were empty. We were not taken until the early hours of the next morning by which time we we not only exhausted but starving. Staff did bring my mum some toast on my request as she is diabetic. Why can a vending machine not be installed in A&E? On the other hand the medical staff could not have been more helpful and upbeat.

Why can appointments not be given out so that patients can stay in comfort of own home rather than endure 11 hours on a chair? Things need to change. In my opinion this was totally disgraceful.

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Responses

Response from Paul Smyth, Interim Head of Service Emergency Departments, Acute & Emergency Medicine, Southern Health and Social Care Trust 3 months ago
Paul Smyth
Interim Head of Service Emergency Departments, Acute & Emergency Medicine,
Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Submitted on 10/01/2024 at 12:32
Published on Care Opinion at 12:32

Unfortunately the problem is that there are significant numbers of patients delayed in the emergency department waiting on admission beds. On that date there were over 50 such patients. This leads to the department being overcrowded with no free cubicle space to assess new patients arriving.

This is the biggest cause of lengthy waiting times in the emergency department. We are sorry you and you mother had to experience this. We are in contact daily with the inpatient teams to update them on the number of patients that need an admission bed to free capacity in the emergency department.

I will pass on your comments regarding vending machines/shop/coffee dock to our functional support services team.

Kind regards

Paul Smyth

Head of ED.
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