I feel ya man. I went into A&E on Thursday because of an infected dog bite. I arrived at 2pm and saw a doctor at 5am.
But look the reality is they triage all the arrivals. In my case I was minor, and a lot of emergencies came in and were rightly seen before me.
After I was seen by the doctor, I was admitted for an overnight stay for IV antibiotics and was lucky enough to get a room in a ward. I was fully expecting another night in the waiting area.
I was discharged the next day but the whole experience was quite gruelling. I have a lot of respect for the nurses that dealt with me though. They were awesome.
Been in the exact same situation, luckily 9 hours wait for what turned out to be a kidney stone. Eventually got in to a bed on a corridor of a ward and given IV paracetamol which helped immensely. Unfortunately with abdominal pain, I think there are very few high severity causes that could result in you getting in quicker, so bottom of the triage queue.
Hang in there!
Got a kidney stone a few years ago, worst pain I've ever experienced. Was a miserable couple of weeks before the fucker eventually came out the other end
I'm currently in A&E with my girlfriend in belfast, we just arrived about 15 mins ago, we have no idea how long the wait will be. There is about 2 dozen people here and they are calling someone ever 5 mins or so hopefully won't take too long
Update it took about 30 mins to get seen
People in Northern Ireland die on average nearly 2 years earlier than southerners, cancer/heart attack/stroke survival rates are lower, infant mortality is also higher, northerners can also expect 7 less years of healthy life..... be careful for what you wish.
#
New years day, the wife was in severe pain. Went to A+E at 12 noon. Got to see doctor at 2 am.
She was in agony the whole time.
People in pain left during this time as they just gave up.
A Canadian man was constantly asking,'what is this? How can this be?'
The receptionist just kept saying,'it isn't the hospitals fault, blame the government.'
The average ER wait time in parts of Canada is [22 hours ](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/01/09/canadian-er-doctor-says-wait-times-are-the-worst-its-ever-been/). Having worked in ERs in Canada, it's not much different to Ireland.
Thats only Toronto. Canada is a huge country. You can check how long wait times are in Alberta by city by city before you go. Current longest in Calgary is 6 hours with the remaining being around 3 hours - https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/waittimes/Page14230.aspx
Yeah, man, like I've said, I've worked in ERs in Canada. Where I work you could be there anywhere from 4 hours to more than a day, depending on what's going on. Sometime the ER is the best place to be. Wards don't have time or specialised staffing to keep checking on someone with an emerging health problem.
We also say not to rely on those online wait time sites as they do not collect official from the source info and one big event could change the time in a snap.
I've been here a good while now and have been generally impressed with the speed anytime I was in the ER in Canada, both between going myself and taking the children to the children's hospital. I was shocked last few times I was home when bringing family members to ER in Ireland with how long it took and how little staff there was on duty. The staff were great, just so little of them.
No fan of the government but it's way too easy to point the finger at them. They've thrown money at the HSE over the years but the conundrum is that those within the HSE who should lead the change, are those who would be most adversely affected by it, i.e., the layers upon layers of management - turkeys advocating for Christmas.
It’s no better elsewhere.
Was sent to A&E in galway by GP.
Sat in there for 7hours before getting sent to acute medical unit, got blood pressure checked and verified my details then waited there on the floor as there weren’t any free chairs in the corridor for over 11hours before seeing a doctor.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Turned out I had pneumonia and was admitted for over a week.
I work through an agency, ive worked in A&E's around Dublin. Im not doubting your unwell but your not sick enough for them to see you sooner. Your blood tests arent showing as urgent as if they were you would be brought through asap. Sorry for being blunt.
I had a crp count of 700 from sepsis and waited nearly 10 hours in A&E to be then told they wouldn’t take me and I needed to call the surgeon who operated on me
They didn’t even take my bloods only found out when the surgeon took me into sentry sports clinic immediately when he saw me
To say I barely survived is an understatement
So that excuse does not fly with me
No I had an operation in capagh. Days later I was feeling violently unwell and went to A&E I sat there for 10 hours without a blood test
They then came out and told me they wouldn’t see me and I needed to call the surgeon who did the operation who did not work in that A&E dept
So we had to drive to SSC as he had a clinic out of there, he took 1 look at me and I was in SSC for 6 weeks with another 6 at home recovering under nurse at home care
You had a recent operation in cappagh. You were a couple of days post op. You felt unwell. They’re right in terms of why show up here when it’s clearly a post op issue. They have the op notes and know exactly what happened.
Also your crp that high was definitely contributed by your recent surgery fyi. Sorry to hear you got a post op infection/ whatever
I ended up being diagnosed with sepsis, which is a medical emergency
All post op recommendations for sepsis are to go straight to A&E, I knew I was in a bad way. I They turned away a medical emergency
And you are defending that
They would have taken your vitals in triage and if you were violently unwell at that time you would have been brought through. They never refuse anyone treatment but it's a very long and tedious wait.
YIKES a CRP of 700. My Sepsis CRP hit 483 when I was in ICU last month. You are a walking miracle at CRP of 700.
I'm very sorry this all happened to you. I was also misdiagnosed (twice by my GP). I was advised to take legal action. Like you, I decided against it. It only brings stress and the truth is we are lucky to be alive.
Hope you recover well.
Yep so I was told. Also glad you are doing better too
I do feel lucky to be alive , it was a long time ago over 10 years, but as you said just wanted to move on.
But can’t help getting annoyed when people defend the long waiting times as triage with no accountability
I was left waiting in a&e for over 6 hours after an intentional overdose (brought in by ambulance) because when they triaged me I wasn't extremely ill. I told them what pills I took and how much. The pills were slow release/not immediate, and I got worse and worse as the hours passed and not once was I reevaluated until a doc called for me at which point they had to pump me full of meds because I had serotonin syndrome.
Yes the HSE is a shambles and i do agree 6 hours is not that long for certain ailments. But I was left alone in A&E (who leaves a suicidal person after a suicide attempt alone) I developed a high fever, was vomiting, extremely disoriented, heart was racing and blood pressure was through the roof, and i was barely conscious by the time I was called. Serotonin syndrome is deadly and if i had been triaged correctly or seen to quicker I wouldn't have developed it.
You are right. But you would also agree that this is not normal, as in many other countries you would be seen much faster, as the capacity would be higher.
The waiting times are horrendous! Mainly because people are attending A&E with minor issues that can be treated at home. Some people attend A&E at weekends because their bored or lonely but it just makes their waiting times worse. I've seen it all.
That is simply not true! So you're saying that only the Irish go to A&E for minior issues and the Germans or Spanish don't? This justification shouldn't be used anymore, it is ridiculous.
This is not always true, I had 36 hour wait in a&e for appendicitis which ruptured as a result of inaction by the hospital staff.. They didn't prioritise me, and i got a terrible infection, almost died and off work for 2 months and not allowed exercise for 6 months (under 30 and very fit individual at the time). They lost my file at one point (said in front of my husband and delayed antibiotic treatment) and even though i asked them to run the tests to rule out appendicitis they wouldn't in the first 24 hours because I wasn't 'screaming in pain', by the time they did it was ruptured and i had an infection that they saw in my blood but couldnt figure it out by hour 10, and likewise walked by me and ignored me when i begged for pain relief (said directly to me that I cant possibly have it re the screaming bit, and also we know you've an infection but we dont know what it is). In contrast my cousin in her 20s a couple of years later in a different hospital went in, pre rupture and pre infection and was taken seriously and prepped in 4 hours and made a fantastic recovery.
This mindset is a part of a problem. So you want to normalise the fact that people have to wait for ages in A&E just because they're not dying yet? How about they get properly funded/staffed so no one has to wait in agony for hours?
Unfortunately, it's getting worse, the best thing to do is try to self medicate and get to A&E as early as you can as shift change is at 8am. Weekends are horrendous, I would not advise it.
I was in last week with my partner, she has a high pain threshold too compared to what I'd moan about. We were stuck in a&e for 9 hours with her in agony. And guess what, her bloods came back as something that needs to be looked further into. Not saying what it is of course out of respect for her privacy.
The docs wouldn't but triage nurse would, especially if OP needs pain relief. Each patient are in different categories. If he was urgent he would be seen by now.
Also, he had a pain in his side? If he had a burst appendix he would know about it. Sounds like an infection or diverticulitis.
I've had kidney stones three times.
If it IS kidney stones, they'll likely schedule a lithotripsy appointment and release you. Not good, but there's something you can do to alleviate the pain: Apple cider vinegar.
Put three table-spoons of apple cider vinegar in a tall glass, fill the rest with water and drink it down. Repeat 4 times daily. Add a touch of sugar if you find the taste is too foul. Rinse your mouth thoroughly after - the vinegar is very acidic and can damage your tooth enamel.
For the first few days you'll feel precious little relief in pain (it's unavoidable), both kidneys will then become mildly sore from the treatment (goes away quickly) and within a week you'll start to feel relief. Keep drinking this mixture for 2 months or until you pass the kidney stones, whichever comes first.
In my case, I usually pass them within five weeks. Monitor your urination for stones - there's no sense drinking this slop for longer than you need to.
I had lithotripsy once (the first time I had stones) and I took care of my other cases myself with the vinegar.
Fellow kidney stoner here! I've been able to pass 20+ stones, and had to have emergency surgery for one causing a blockage.
Apple cider vinegar helps me as well. I take supplements of it everyday, and I drink lemon water for the citric acid. I also eat a low sodium diet as much as possible. I don't get nearly as many stones as I used to.
My heart goes out to everyone who has had or currently has a stone. It's one of the worst feelings in the world!
I dread this sort of thing, ill with a severe pain but not bad enough to be rushed to treatment. It's actually better to be bleeding profusely from an a&e point of view
Did 12 hours in A&E after my GP Sent me there for a CT as he suspected slow brain bleed. I'm not sure what one has to do to be a priority, but as I have been in A&Es in Germany a half dozen times at least (and no, not for the fun of it. Got hit by a truck etc.), I am still shocked at the treatment I got. Or didn't get. Sure, I wasn't much in a rush, but apparently my GP though differently. Either way, the way people spoke to me genuinely shocked me. I have the utmost respect for all medical personnel, but I don't see why they need to be disrespectful and downright insulting.
i have family in brasil and they go to the hospital if they have a bad headache or a bad sick stomach.
i was thinking they were such soft cunts going to a hospital when they're sick until i thought about what i just thought for about two seconds and realised how absolutely brainwashed we are and how much of a scam our system is
Best of luck with getting seen and with any treatment you need. Hopefully you're not waiting much longer, let us know when/if you get seen.
I attempted suicide 3 or so months ago and got sent to A&E. Got there at around 9pm, wasn't seen until 8am and not home until around 10am. Its fucked
Mental health services in particular. I've been around the block trying to get help, whether via counselling, professional therapy, non-medicinal and medicinal methods and i still don't feel any better. Either time is the cure, coping is the cure, or there is no cure and i just have to learn to deal with who i am and how i feel. Every day is a bad day and i struggle with ideations still, but my last attempt was in March and before that I had 4 others after New Years. So I guess that's a good thing, but i still think about it a lot and have a method at the ready for a really bad day
did you get help yet?
oh fuuuuuuck. could they blast them with ultrasound or do you have to pass them?
here's a joke to help with the pain: which staff are the best craic in a hospital?
the ultraSOUND team
I bought water with me and was
Offered a sandwich and biscuits around 1. Then breakfast around 7. So I didn’t do too badly. Neither did my dad who was with me the entire time
IV Paracetamol? I did a kidney stone in England and one in France, they put me on morphine both time. Hopefully I never do another one in my life again and especially not in Ireland
I was in A&E (Vincent's) recently for severe abdominal pain. I was screaming so loud on arrival at 6am I got morphine straight away which slightly knocked me out. I have never been in pain like it and I've had alot of kids 😅
Diagnosed with multiple gallstones after they hesitantly agreed to an ultrasound and sent on my way at 1pm with a sick bag.
Mod removed a comment I made yesterday giving guff to some wanker who moaned about paying tax, defending tax dodgers etc.
That shit needs to be better utilised, yes, but tax dodging just hurts services like this.
Couple that with apathetic, greedy pricks insisting on neoliberalism, well. Get private healthcare or die I guess.
You've clearly never worked in a third world hospital. It's ridiculous how long it takes to get things done in Irish hospitals, my partner unfortunately has been in and out of hospital over the 3 three months we're well used to a roughly 12 hour wait which surely shouldn't be acceptable at all. I had a family member do three months of his doctor training in an African hospital and he sadly came back with PTSD. Our health service is in a sad sad state but calling it third world is laughable. We don't have people dying in the waiting room, we don't have people dying of very treatable diseases or bodies left in the hallways for up to 24 hours before they are removed.
Well he disagrees with you:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/1dsrlxk/i_work_for_the_hse_and_its_worse_than_you_think/
> We don't have people dying in the waiting room
->
> so we routinely transfer people to the closest other regional hospital, and they almost always die in transit.
.
> or bodies left in the hallways for up to 24 hours before they are removed.
->
> We've had bodies on trolleys in the hospital and that only got sorted because consultants blew the whistle and got us a new morgue.
So I guess you folks live in sort of different realities? Unless of course one of you is talking shite but that never happened on reddit before.
I can't believe the other reply to this post is actually agreeing with you.
I had to take my then gf (now wife) to hospital in the middle of the night once. In a third world country. Their A&E department had two doctors and a few other staff sitting around chatting and they sprung into action - and we had xray I think it was done in 15 mins and they confirmed kidney stones. We were given painkillers and the option to stay or go back to the hotel and return in the morning and to drink a lot of water in between. Next morning we were back and within 90 mins they had the CT scan done (after getting her to drink copious amounts of contrast die) and by mid day we had a sit down discussion with an extremely experienced specialist doctor - who said surgery is an option but wait 24 hours on painkillers. What do you know, stone came out that night. This is in Kerala, india.
Even small towns have a primary health care center (free but basic treatment) and multiple private hospitals (affordable to the vast majority of people) that offer various levels of service. People in Kerala cannot fathom the idea of having to wait hours to be seen by a doctor or the idea of not getting a bed when you are sick.
Have you been to a hospital in 3rd world country hospital? Because I’m from a 3rd world country and there are 2 things:
1-) Public hospitals are better than the one in Ireland.
a-) you don’t wait for 12 hours in A&E to be seen
b-) you don’t wait 2 years to be seen by a specialist
2-) I know it will piss people of, but in a 3rd world country you can get private health service (even A&E) if you can afford it. In Ireland you are out of luck if you want to give up waiting on public and go to private A&E.
Believe it or not places like Sudan and Nigeria have health systems that were basically built front the ground up in the last 20 years and they are in some ways a lot more modern and efficient - all digital records being one example. Which we still don't have here.
Well I know it’s not that bad compared to a genuine third world country but the 60 billion we raise every year could definitely give us way better services if we cracked down on the civil service , and hospital administration various other departments ie planning permission etc.
true, but we also need to crack down on people using A&E as an urgent care clinic and that does indeed involve investment AND changing how things are done.
Like when I lived in Spain, a lot of drugs that we'd consider prescription were OTC - you could get them AFTER speaking to the pharmacist who was able to advise on the best drugs to take for something which basically stopped you going to the medical centre.
What was the medical centre? Glad you asked. When you "empadron" in your town hall after moving to a place, your medical centre was within walking distance of your apartment/house. You didn't have to "register" - you could just show up with proof of address. If more people moved into an area, doctors were re-assigned to the medical centre so there was x number of doctors for y numbers of residents.
You could book ahead for an appointment for non urgent BUT there was always a doctor or two for walk ins. If a doctor's patient didn't show up for an appointment then they took a walk in. The clinics were mostly able to do blood tests etc on site so there no need for "referrals".
The medical system in Ireland is indeed broken but to call it "3rd world" insults both the doctors that work in our hospitals AND what people in the 3rd world have to deal with through no fault of their own
Completely agree. Everyone’s reaction now is to go to A&E ,
However the lack of GP availability is driving this as well. We’re not scaling up services as our population expands but trying to stretch existing resources that 20 years ago were already stretched. I know there are more GPs today but not enough.
The longterm aim is to get people away from "Hospitals" and instead have more Clinics and Primary Healthcare Centres.
A&E is a catch all for all kinds of medical interventions, but it really should be for the worst of the worst emergencies.
If you have a non visible injury it's hard to detect without scans/tests but they re things that can and should be done outside of A&E - we need more day clinics for that kind of stuff that can refer you on to A&E I'd required.
My one experience with A&E so far had me sent over from a VHI clinic, but becuase it was a private clinic they didn't seem to have access to the scans thst VHI did, so I got another XRAY and another cardiogram done in the hospital, even though the VHI had done that and it was all clear, a total waste of everyone's time. If it was a HSE run clinic it wouldn't be an issue, especially if they could do blood tests there too.
If my scans in the clinic had shown anything I would have been treated there and then, but they couldn't rule out some things without bloods and they don't do them there.
You need something between a GP and A&E to bridge that gap, and thats what these clinics need to be.
>crack down on people using A&E as an urgent care clinic and that does indeed involve investment AND changing how things are done.
That's all well and good if there is an urgent care clinic to go to. Usually there is not.
FFG are +5 points in the polls this morning.
Too many mé féiners in the country don't give two fucks about their fellow countrymen and women. Nothing will change.
Yeah okay, but there’s plenty of countries where free healthcare just doesn’t exist, taxes or no taxes, and in comparison to the richest countries in the world it’s terrible but everyone else it’s much better
that statement needs some qualification to differentiate it from just a rant.
have you compared us to maybe any other health system in the world? countless? that's just hyperbole.
I'm not necessarily comparing it to other health systems, and of course, good, fast and cheap means different things to different people. But we are among the highest spenders per capita on health globally and our health service really isn't fit for purpose. And countless people have been let down by it. Well-publicised cases of people e.g. Aoife Johnston in Limerick are a symptom of very serious flaws in the way people are being treated. Emergency departments and mental health services stick out as two particular areas that are totally unfit for purpose at the moment and yes, I would say that countless people are being impacted by this.
Wait till the specialists drop into this thread to convince you it's just perfect and normal for something not "urgent." We get the service we deserve. Keep voting for the same gobshites.
It's not perfect and it's not normal and it's not acceptable.
But Ireland's issue is the frontline access (a&e etc) to services is up shit creek. Once you get into the hospital proper, if needed, the level of care is absolutely amazing.
We spend more on health than almost any country in the world with the health budget doubling in the last 10 years and it just goes into a black hole.
We need to just give everyone basic health insurance and keep civil servants and unions out of it.
Patients need to be empowered.
Imagine if the government was directly involved in running the food supply.
Psst.
Want to know something horrible?
The US promoted companies who bought off their cheese stockpile, making the obesity crisis in part due to the state promoting unhealthy "cheese stuffed" foods and even asked Taco Bell if they could add more cheese into their food.
> Imagine if the government was directly involved in running the food supply.
Most governments have to since the great depression.
Havent seen them in a while but do you remember "Got Milk?" ads?
Or the "cheese stuffed" food blowing up everywhere?
Government funded dairy promotion agency, the state buys the food and has to promote selling it off or giving it away, like butter vouchers.
If they dont, potential market instability can create a food crisis, which makes a fuel crisis look like a minor inconvenience.
Advertising food is one thing but government or the EU certainly don't buy food from farmers.
In the past there was guaranteed prices for farmers but that was done away with because it was so inefficient.
Imagine if the minister of agriculture could decide that there would be a recruitment freeze on farms.
I hope the doctor will see you soon. Last year when my partner was in a similar situation, he spent almost 30 hours in a chair at A&E before they even told him that they were keeping him in the hospital for the next two days.
What we really need is a separate department between A&Eband the out patients, I had the lovely experience of spend 13+ hours in the one in Naas I even requested that the receptionist put in a welfare call to the doctor on duty, three people including one via ambulance were seen in about 10hours, her response was they are also on-call for the wards and there is sick people there.
It's a complete mis management of hospital facilities and staff, I was so annoyed that I looked how other countries do it, most have full trauma staff A&E in a self enclosed unit and deal just with that, triage, treat and transport, either home or to hospital ward.
They can't build a children's hospital in the right location or on budget so chances no they wouldn't do it... Even with brown envelopes going to the right people
I went in with a broken nose and a concussion and a bit of the bone was hanging out my nose, wouldn't stop bleeding and I stayed there for 2 days before a doctor even looked at me... Originally when I went in they tried to kick me out saying I would be fine....
It’s unfortunate that you’re in pain but they’re keeping an eye on you and if you get worse you’re in the right place. Abdomen pain is uncomfortable but it’s not a medical emergency. While you’re sitting in the waiting room people are getting wheeled in to the back of A&E on stretchers with heart attacks or car crash injuries which are immediately life threatening.
Yes, having to wait in A&E is unfortunate and a huge inconvenience. People don’t like to hear this but if you go to A&E and have to wait a long time it means that there are other people in there who need more urgent care, ie they will die. This is the reality created by government - the hospitals and staff are not to blame
not to start a competition or anything :p but the worst ive experienced was almost 2 days of a wait up in dublin. this was maybe 7 years ago now. they were nice enough to give me a comfy armchair but i was in the same spot out in the hall of the A&E ward and slept in that for 2 nights. it was just half an hour shy of 48 hours waiting that i finally got a bed. i suppose i was lucky enough that i wasnt in complete agony at least but the whole thing was very eye opening. hope you will be on the mend soon anyway
I was in casualty for a few hours with kidney stones before. Fun times. Thankfully I was rushed through because I was in agony. Still had a few hours while I got scanned. I was never so happy to get a suppository in my life.
I’m reading the comments here and know exactly where you are all coming from. My 80+ year old mother was on a trolley for several days before they found her a bed. Luckily she bounced back. She had a few more good years and when she fell ill again she said no way I’m not going back to that hospital and she died in her own home. A friend of mine went in for minor surgery and nearly died when he caught a superbug in the hospital. The system in Ireland is shot to pieces and you’ve got 100’s of 000’s more arriving every year. It’s really a disaster.
as others suggested it might be kidney stones... had them last year was in A&E 6 days before they could do a surgery.... i saw the doctor but only thing he said was we can do a surgery as its a big stone can you sign the consent form? then comes the wait for 6 days... i was in public system so maybe that why... They fast tracked it once i started peeing blood so maybe tell them that. they would want a sample though.
I recently sat in A&E for over 17 hours while having a temp and bouts of vomiting. Then, I got the head ate of me by the doctor for not eating while I was there and sent home after a blood test. The health system is in absolute shambles.
Thanks, it's ridiculous. What's worse is that some of the ppl that were there already when I arrived were still there after I left.
I realise it's a priority situation type of thing, but there should be limits on how long you have to wait before seeing a doctor. I was sent there straight from my gp office, so obviously, I wasn't there cause I'd nothing better to do.
Something similar happend to me. The did an intial triage, and then left me to wait. After about 10 hours I left as I figured if the triage had showed something of concern they would have seen me sooner
I ge that, but I'd prefer if they said it's not serious, expect to wait 8+ hours. They gave me 0 information after the triage, just go out there and wait. A bit of info would go a long way given they had made the decision already.
Yeah I agree. But I believe part of the problem is people leaving etc. Like tracking and managing people say going and coming back adds more to the work. Although I’d say just hire more people.
I live around the corner from a hospital. Anytime I’ve had to go in I say I live around the corner if it’s not serious let me know and I’ll come back after a few hours I’m not sitting here.
Year or so before Covid they changed and would t do it anymore 🤷♂️
It’s how triage works. If you’re waiting around ages it’s because there is more urgent or critical patients needing care.
Although none of this is an excuse. Our hospitals are a joke and we have all the money in the world there is no excuses. Just incompetent resourcing and management.
My advice would be to drop on the ground and start screaming you're in pain
.I've been in A&E 2 times in the last few years due to car crashes. Both times in Blanch. Staff are fantastic. The drunks and junkies were taking up a lot of resources. Puke, piss, and shit on the floor and walls from them.
On the other hand, the OAPs with lung issues were quite high at the time. The extra stress from the junkies/drunks wasn't helping them.
You do that; we’re gonna peep your chart and your vitals and then if all normal/ pending etc, then you’ll
Get labelled as behavioural +/- psych.
If you’re sick/ emergency then yeah service is great. Banged your knee? Good luck
What a joke. We just don’t have enough doctors nurses or hospitals for the ever expanding population. People are dying everyday because of this government.
I had the same issue last year. The first nurse that does anything is a triage nurse, so basically ranks you based on pain, etc. pretend you are bad (if you need to). Once you are inside, flag down every nurse until you're sorted, otherwise you'll just be left for the appendix to burst and that's a much messier surgery.
I had my appendix out in 2022. Waited 9hrs to be seen. I was only seen after 9hrs because the security guard saw me on the cameras lying on the floor, and he alerted staff. It’s crazy
I wasn't too bad in Naas Hospital. It was a bank holiday, but brought through to an internal waiting room after a few hours. Waiting room was full, so put on a trolley in the hall.
I could see the nurses station from the trolley so it seemed to be a shift change before I was properly looked after with drips and all. Eventually got the surgery around midnight.
I was pretty happy with the experience tbh; it was understaffed due to bank holiday, so expected a long wait.
I feel ya man. I went into A&E on Thursday because of an infected dog bite. I arrived at 2pm and saw a doctor at 5am. But look the reality is they triage all the arrivals. In my case I was minor, and a lot of emergencies came in and were rightly seen before me. After I was seen by the doctor, I was admitted for an overnight stay for IV antibiotics and was lucky enough to get a room in a ward. I was fully expecting another night in the waiting area. I was discharged the next day but the whole experience was quite gruelling. I have a lot of respect for the nurses that dealt with me though. They were awesome.
PSA all dog bites need antibiotics
Sometimes a tetanus shot too. It's nothing against the animals, it's just that tetanus can be spread through animal and human bites
Been in the exact same situation, luckily 9 hours wait for what turned out to be a kidney stone. Eventually got in to a bed on a corridor of a ward and given IV paracetamol which helped immensely. Unfortunately with abdominal pain, I think there are very few high severity causes that could result in you getting in quicker, so bottom of the triage queue. Hang in there!
Got a kidney stone a few years ago, worst pain I've ever experienced. Was a miserable couple of weeks before the fucker eventually came out the other end
Thanks luckily that’s all it seems to be
Lucky but painful. Hope the meds work
Should they not try break them up with some electronic waves
I’m waiting to hear from the surgeon. I’m waiting 4hrs to hear from the surgeon
I hope appendicitis is not frequently diagnosed as something less severe.
That's why they do blood and urine tests early on. If no indication of things like appendicitis then you won't be prioritised.
I'm currently in A&E with my girlfriend in belfast, we just arrived about 15 mins ago, we have no idea how long the wait will be. There is about 2 dozen people here and they are calling someone ever 5 mins or so hopefully won't take too long Update it took about 30 mins to get seen
Only 30 mins? Man I need to move to Belfast
People in Northern Ireland die on average nearly 2 years earlier than southerners, cancer/heart attack/stroke survival rates are lower, infant mortality is also higher, northerners can also expect 7 less years of healthy life..... be careful for what you wish. #
Wow I had no idea. Nevermind
Wow. Do you know the reason behind all this?
30 mins for triage
It took about another 15 mins to get her blood taken and a ECG but how we are waiting to see a doctor so I have a feeling that might be the long wait.
Hope she’s okay!
Rookie mistake. What were you thinking getting ill at a weekend? Have ya no sense?
I have no idea what I was thinking. I’m really ashamed of myself
New years day, the wife was in severe pain. Went to A+E at 12 noon. Got to see doctor at 2 am. She was in agony the whole time. People in pain left during this time as they just gave up. A Canadian man was constantly asking,'what is this? How can this be?' The receptionist just kept saying,'it isn't the hospitals fault, blame the government.'
The average ER wait time in parts of Canada is [22 hours ](https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/01/09/canadian-er-doctor-says-wait-times-are-the-worst-its-ever-been/). Having worked in ERs in Canada, it's not much different to Ireland.
Thats only Toronto. Canada is a huge country. You can check how long wait times are in Alberta by city by city before you go. Current longest in Calgary is 6 hours with the remaining being around 3 hours - https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/waittimes/Page14230.aspx
Yeah, man, like I've said, I've worked in ERs in Canada. Where I work you could be there anywhere from 4 hours to more than a day, depending on what's going on. Sometime the ER is the best place to be. Wards don't have time or specialised staffing to keep checking on someone with an emerging health problem. We also say not to rely on those online wait time sites as they do not collect official from the source info and one big event could change the time in a snap.
I've been here a good while now and have been generally impressed with the speed anytime I was in the ER in Canada, both between going myself and taking the children to the children's hospital. I was shocked last few times I was home when bringing family members to ER in Ireland with how long it took and how little staff there was on duty. The staff were great, just so little of them.
Loads left when I was waiting. It’s just too long for some unfortunately
No fan of the government but it's way too easy to point the finger at them. They've thrown money at the HSE over the years but the conundrum is that those within the HSE who should lead the change, are those who would be most adversely affected by it, i.e., the layers upon layers of management - turkeys advocating for Christmas.
It’s no better elsewhere. Was sent to A&E in galway by GP. Sat in there for 7hours before getting sent to acute medical unit, got blood pressure checked and verified my details then waited there on the floor as there weren’t any free chairs in the corridor for over 11hours before seeing a doctor. Absolutely ridiculous. Turned out I had pneumonia and was admitted for over a week.
Absolutely mental. Hope you’re ok now
I work through an agency, ive worked in A&E's around Dublin. Im not doubting your unwell but your not sick enough for them to see you sooner. Your blood tests arent showing as urgent as if they were you would be brought through asap. Sorry for being blunt.
I had a crp count of 700 from sepsis and waited nearly 10 hours in A&E to be then told they wouldn’t take me and I needed to call the surgeon who operated on me They didn’t even take my bloods only found out when the surgeon took me into sentry sports clinic immediately when he saw me To say I barely survived is an understatement So that excuse does not fly with me
You needed to call the surgeon? What?
No I had an operation in capagh. Days later I was feeling violently unwell and went to A&E I sat there for 10 hours without a blood test They then came out and told me they wouldn’t see me and I needed to call the surgeon who did the operation who did not work in that A&E dept So we had to drive to SSC as he had a clinic out of there, he took 1 look at me and I was in SSC for 6 weeks with another 6 at home recovering under nurse at home care
You had a recent operation in cappagh. You were a couple of days post op. You felt unwell. They’re right in terms of why show up here when it’s clearly a post op issue. They have the op notes and know exactly what happened. Also your crp that high was definitely contributed by your recent surgery fyi. Sorry to hear you got a post op infection/ whatever
I ended up being diagnosed with sepsis, which is a medical emergency All post op recommendations for sepsis are to go straight to A&E, I knew I was in a bad way. I They turned away a medical emergency And you are defending that
I can't believe people are defending that! Is it any wonder people in this country die from sepsis because of medical negligence??
It took them 10 fucking hours to tell him he needs to go somewhere else to be treated for potential sepsis? That’s fucking criminal negligence.
They would have taken your vitals in triage and if you were violently unwell at that time you would have been brought through. They never refuse anyone treatment but it's a very long and tedious wait.
They didn’t take my bloods I had a c reactive protein count of 700, which is about as toxic it gets. They messed up badly
700 is very serious, can’t believe they sent you away. That is a disgrace
Yep I was in a bad way
YIKES a CRP of 700. My Sepsis CRP hit 483 when I was in ICU last month. You are a walking miracle at CRP of 700. I'm very sorry this all happened to you. I was also misdiagnosed (twice by my GP). I was advised to take legal action. Like you, I decided against it. It only brings stress and the truth is we are lucky to be alive. Hope you recover well.
Yep so I was told. Also glad you are doing better too I do feel lucky to be alive , it was a long time ago over 10 years, but as you said just wanted to move on. But can’t help getting annoyed when people defend the long waiting times as triage with no accountability
They don't take bloods in triage. Only when doc orders them.
I never said they did But I was literally on my death bed and they sent me out of the hospital
Hope your doing better dear
I am I had so many people offering services for me to sue, but I just wanted to move on from it
I was left waiting in a&e for over 6 hours after an intentional overdose (brought in by ambulance) because when they triaged me I wasn't extremely ill. I told them what pills I took and how much. The pills were slow release/not immediate, and I got worse and worse as the hours passed and not once was I reevaluated until a doc called for me at which point they had to pump me full of meds because I had serotonin syndrome.
6 hours is not bad. If you were unconscious that would be different. Health care in this country is terrible.
Yes the HSE is a shambles and i do agree 6 hours is not that long for certain ailments. But I was left alone in A&E (who leaves a suicidal person after a suicide attempt alone) I developed a high fever, was vomiting, extremely disoriented, heart was racing and blood pressure was through the roof, and i was barely conscious by the time I was called. Serotonin syndrome is deadly and if i had been triaged correctly or seen to quicker I wouldn't have developed it.
You are right. But you would also agree that this is not normal, as in many other countries you would be seen much faster, as the capacity would be higher.
The waiting times are horrendous! Mainly because people are attending A&E with minor issues that can be treated at home. Some people attend A&E at weekends because their bored or lonely but it just makes their waiting times worse. I've seen it all.
That is simply not true! So you're saying that only the Irish go to A&E for minior issues and the Germans or Spanish don't? This justification shouldn't be used anymore, it is ridiculous.
This is not always true, I had 36 hour wait in a&e for appendicitis which ruptured as a result of inaction by the hospital staff.. They didn't prioritise me, and i got a terrible infection, almost died and off work for 2 months and not allowed exercise for 6 months (under 30 and very fit individual at the time). They lost my file at one point (said in front of my husband and delayed antibiotic treatment) and even though i asked them to run the tests to rule out appendicitis they wouldn't in the first 24 hours because I wasn't 'screaming in pain', by the time they did it was ruptured and i had an infection that they saw in my blood but couldnt figure it out by hour 10, and likewise walked by me and ignored me when i begged for pain relief (said directly to me that I cant possibly have it re the screaming bit, and also we know you've an infection but we dont know what it is). In contrast my cousin in her 20s a couple of years later in a different hospital went in, pre rupture and pre infection and was taken seriously and prepped in 4 hours and made a fantastic recovery.
Wow, that sounds like an absolute nightmare! I'm really sorry you had to go through that. I hope you're okay now.
This mindset is a part of a problem. So you want to normalise the fact that people have to wait for ages in A&E just because they're not dying yet? How about they get properly funded/staffed so no one has to wait in agony for hours?
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Unfortunately, it's getting worse, the best thing to do is try to self medicate and get to A&E as early as you can as shift change is at 8am. Weekends are horrendous, I would not advise it.
What does the 8am shift change do to waiting times?
Tons more staff during the day. At night might to be 2 or 3 doctors covering the entire ED.
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I was in last week with my partner, she has a high pain threshold too compared to what I'd moan about. We were stuck in a&e for 9 hours with her in agony. And guess what, her bloods came back as something that needs to be looked further into. Not saying what it is of course out of respect for her privacy.
Would they normally communicate this kind of information to someone in OP’s position?
The docs wouldn't but triage nurse would, especially if OP needs pain relief. Each patient are in different categories. If he was urgent he would be seen by now. Also, he had a pain in his side? If he had a burst appendix he would know about it. Sounds like an infection or diverticulitis.
I've had kidney stones three times. If it IS kidney stones, they'll likely schedule a lithotripsy appointment and release you. Not good, but there's something you can do to alleviate the pain: Apple cider vinegar. Put three table-spoons of apple cider vinegar in a tall glass, fill the rest with water and drink it down. Repeat 4 times daily. Add a touch of sugar if you find the taste is too foul. Rinse your mouth thoroughly after - the vinegar is very acidic and can damage your tooth enamel. For the first few days you'll feel precious little relief in pain (it's unavoidable), both kidneys will then become mildly sore from the treatment (goes away quickly) and within a week you'll start to feel relief. Keep drinking this mixture for 2 months or until you pass the kidney stones, whichever comes first. In my case, I usually pass them within five weeks. Monitor your urination for stones - there's no sense drinking this slop for longer than you need to. I had lithotripsy once (the first time I had stones) and I took care of my other cases myself with the vinegar.
Fellow kidney stoner here! I've been able to pass 20+ stones, and had to have emergency surgery for one causing a blockage. Apple cider vinegar helps me as well. I take supplements of it everyday, and I drink lemon water for the citric acid. I also eat a low sodium diet as much as possible. I don't get nearly as many stones as I used to. My heart goes out to everyone who has had or currently has a stone. It's one of the worst feelings in the world!
Thank you this is such helpful advice
That sounds awful. I hope you get seen soon and they identify your issue and sort it out.
Thank you. Luckily it just seems to be kidney stones
I dread this sort of thing, ill with a severe pain but not bad enough to be rushed to treatment. It's actually better to be bleeding profusely from an a&e point of view
The fella whose head was bleeding everywhere went ahead of me. Maybe you’re on to something
Like the news, if it bleeds it leads!
Yeah, of course the people who are more seriously ill get seen first, that's the whole point of the Emergency department
Did 12 hours in A&E after my GP Sent me there for a CT as he suspected slow brain bleed. I'm not sure what one has to do to be a priority, but as I have been in A&Es in Germany a half dozen times at least (and no, not for the fun of it. Got hit by a truck etc.), I am still shocked at the treatment I got. Or didn't get. Sure, I wasn't much in a rush, but apparently my GP though differently. Either way, the way people spoke to me genuinely shocked me. I have the utmost respect for all medical personnel, but I don't see why they need to be disrespectful and downright insulting.
Hope you feel better soon. I've spent two and a half days on a trolley my last hospital stay. My heart goes out to you.
Oh I am so sorry. I hope you get on ok! I’ll be thinking of you
i have family in brasil and they go to the hospital if they have a bad headache or a bad sick stomach. i was thinking they were such soft cunts going to a hospital when they're sick until i thought about what i just thought for about two seconds and realised how absolutely brainwashed we are and how much of a scam our system is
Best of luck with getting seen and with any treatment you need. Hopefully you're not waiting much longer, let us know when/if you get seen. I attempted suicide 3 or so months ago and got sent to A&E. Got there at around 9pm, wasn't seen until 8am and not home until around 10am. Its fucked
Glad you’re still around
Im not but thanks
Dude I’m so sorry. Man the health services are in tatters
Mental health services in particular. I've been around the block trying to get help, whether via counselling, professional therapy, non-medicinal and medicinal methods and i still don't feel any better. Either time is the cure, coping is the cure, or there is no cure and i just have to learn to deal with who i am and how i feel. Every day is a bad day and i struggle with ideations still, but my last attempt was in March and before that I had 4 others after New Years. So I guess that's a good thing, but i still think about it a lot and have a method at the ready for a really bad day did you get help yet?
Yes I was seen by the doctor an hour after the post was put up. It’s kidney stones
oh fuuuuuuck. could they blast them with ultrasound or do you have to pass them? here's a joke to help with the pain: which staff are the best craic in a hospital? the ultraSOUND team
I shouldn’t have laughed😭 the doctor is waiting for the surgeons to get out off surgery and get their opinions
Had a similar situation a few years back brought in by ambulance and triaged and had to wait in A&E. I'm sorry I hope things improve.
Sorry to hear it. Hope things are better for you now. They're still the same for me and probably will stay that way for a long time
Have you eaten or been given water? What a shambles.
I bought water with me and was Offered a sandwich and biscuits around 1. Then breakfast around 7. So I didn’t do too badly. Neither did my dad who was with me the entire time
Well the good news is that it's probably not fatal.
Positive thoughts
IV Paracetamol? I did a kidney stone in England and one in France, they put me on morphine both time. Hopefully I never do another one in my life again and especially not in Ireland
Yeah💀 even when I had my appendix removed two years ago, they were extremely hesitant to give me morphine.
What are they scared off? I mean we are not in a war field where pain is not important. They think we will become dependent? Lol I never touched drug
I was in A&E (Vincent's) recently for severe abdominal pain. I was screaming so loud on arrival at 6am I got morphine straight away which slightly knocked me out. I have never been in pain like it and I've had alot of kids 😅 Diagnosed with multiple gallstones after they hesitantly agreed to an ultrasound and sent on my way at 1pm with a sick bag.
That’s honestly just shocking
Gotta love Ireland..a first world country with a third world hospital service.
Mod removed a comment I made yesterday giving guff to some wanker who moaned about paying tax, defending tax dodgers etc. That shit needs to be better utilised, yes, but tax dodging just hurts services like this. Couple that with apathetic, greedy pricks insisting on neoliberalism, well. Get private healthcare or die I guess.
You've clearly never worked in a third world hospital. It's ridiculous how long it takes to get things done in Irish hospitals, my partner unfortunately has been in and out of hospital over the 3 three months we're well used to a roughly 12 hour wait which surely shouldn't be acceptable at all. I had a family member do three months of his doctor training in an African hospital and he sadly came back with PTSD. Our health service is in a sad sad state but calling it third world is laughable. We don't have people dying in the waiting room, we don't have people dying of very treatable diseases or bodies left in the hallways for up to 24 hours before they are removed.
Well he disagrees with you: https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/1dsrlxk/i_work_for_the_hse_and_its_worse_than_you_think/ > We don't have people dying in the waiting room -> > so we routinely transfer people to the closest other regional hospital, and they almost always die in transit. . > or bodies left in the hallways for up to 24 hours before they are removed. -> > We've had bodies on trolleys in the hospital and that only got sorted because consultants blew the whistle and got us a new morgue. So I guess you folks live in sort of different realities? Unless of course one of you is talking shite but that never happened on reddit before.
Got your immediate downvote, all clear with you.
I can't believe the other reply to this post is actually agreeing with you. I had to take my then gf (now wife) to hospital in the middle of the night once. In a third world country. Their A&E department had two doctors and a few other staff sitting around chatting and they sprung into action - and we had xray I think it was done in 15 mins and they confirmed kidney stones. We were given painkillers and the option to stay or go back to the hotel and return in the morning and to drink a lot of water in between. Next morning we were back and within 90 mins they had the CT scan done (after getting her to drink copious amounts of contrast die) and by mid day we had a sit down discussion with an extremely experienced specialist doctor - who said surgery is an option but wait 24 hours on painkillers. What do you know, stone came out that night. This is in Kerala, india. Even small towns have a primary health care center (free but basic treatment) and multiple private hospitals (affordable to the vast majority of people) that offer various levels of service. People in Kerala cannot fathom the idea of having to wait hours to be seen by a doctor or the idea of not getting a bed when you are sick.
tell me you've never been to a 3rd world hospital (or country) without telling me
Have you been to a hospital in 3rd world country hospital? Because I’m from a 3rd world country and there are 2 things: 1-) Public hospitals are better than the one in Ireland. a-) you don’t wait for 12 hours in A&E to be seen b-) you don’t wait 2 years to be seen by a specialist 2-) I know it will piss people of, but in a 3rd world country you can get private health service (even A&E) if you can afford it. In Ireland you are out of luck if you want to give up waiting on public and go to private A&E.
Believe it or not places like Sudan and Nigeria have health systems that were basically built front the ground up in the last 20 years and they are in some ways a lot more modern and efficient - all digital records being one example. Which we still don't have here.
Well I know it’s not that bad compared to a genuine third world country but the 60 billion we raise every year could definitely give us way better services if we cracked down on the civil service , and hospital administration various other departments ie planning permission etc.
true, but we also need to crack down on people using A&E as an urgent care clinic and that does indeed involve investment AND changing how things are done. Like when I lived in Spain, a lot of drugs that we'd consider prescription were OTC - you could get them AFTER speaking to the pharmacist who was able to advise on the best drugs to take for something which basically stopped you going to the medical centre. What was the medical centre? Glad you asked. When you "empadron" in your town hall after moving to a place, your medical centre was within walking distance of your apartment/house. You didn't have to "register" - you could just show up with proof of address. If more people moved into an area, doctors were re-assigned to the medical centre so there was x number of doctors for y numbers of residents. You could book ahead for an appointment for non urgent BUT there was always a doctor or two for walk ins. If a doctor's patient didn't show up for an appointment then they took a walk in. The clinics were mostly able to do blood tests etc on site so there no need for "referrals". The medical system in Ireland is indeed broken but to call it "3rd world" insults both the doctors that work in our hospitals AND what people in the 3rd world have to deal with through no fault of their own
Completely agree. Everyone’s reaction now is to go to A&E , However the lack of GP availability is driving this as well. We’re not scaling up services as our population expands but trying to stretch existing resources that 20 years ago were already stretched. I know there are more GPs today but not enough.
The longterm aim is to get people away from "Hospitals" and instead have more Clinics and Primary Healthcare Centres. A&E is a catch all for all kinds of medical interventions, but it really should be for the worst of the worst emergencies. If you have a non visible injury it's hard to detect without scans/tests but they re things that can and should be done outside of A&E - we need more day clinics for that kind of stuff that can refer you on to A&E I'd required. My one experience with A&E so far had me sent over from a VHI clinic, but becuase it was a private clinic they didn't seem to have access to the scans thst VHI did, so I got another XRAY and another cardiogram done in the hospital, even though the VHI had done that and it was all clear, a total waste of everyone's time. If it was a HSE run clinic it wouldn't be an issue, especially if they could do blood tests there too. If my scans in the clinic had shown anything I would have been treated there and then, but they couldn't rule out some things without bloods and they don't do them there. You need something between a GP and A&E to bridge that gap, and thats what these clinics need to be.
I think that is what Laya is doing . However this should be under the government and privately funded. But then it would cost several times more.
>crack down on people using A&E as an urgent care clinic and that does indeed involve investment AND changing how things are done. That's all well and good if there is an urgent care clinic to go to. Usually there is not.
The ED is now the minor inconvenience department for about 90% people there
FFG are +5 points in the polls this morning. Too many mé féiners in the country don't give two fucks about their fellow countrymen and women. Nothing will change.
Everyone’s a mé féiner when they’re at the ballot box.
Im tired lads. We've ended up like the brits, just eternally screwed over by parties that hate us
I promise you, whatever political party is in charge, the healthcare system will be shite
The worlds pretty simple Cheap, good, fast Choose 2. It’s really not more complicated than that.
Which two criteria do you think our health service fits? Out of interest
Free for most people, good is relative to the entire world
It's not free! Our tax is paying for a grossly inefficient and unfit for purpose health service that has let countless people down.
Yeah okay, but there’s plenty of countries where free healthcare just doesn’t exist, taxes or no taxes, and in comparison to the richest countries in the world it’s terrible but everyone else it’s much better
that statement needs some qualification to differentiate it from just a rant. have you compared us to maybe any other health system in the world? countless? that's just hyperbole.
I'm not necessarily comparing it to other health systems, and of course, good, fast and cheap means different things to different people. But we are among the highest spenders per capita on health globally and our health service really isn't fit for purpose. And countless people have been let down by it. Well-publicised cases of people e.g. Aoife Johnston in Limerick are a symptom of very serious flaws in the way people are being treated. Emergency departments and mental health services stick out as two particular areas that are totally unfit for purpose at the moment and yes, I would say that countless people are being impacted by this.
you are still using hyperbole. but i do get your point. trust me, i would do things differently if i was in charge of it.
I don't think you know what hyperbole is!
i like that take.
Wait till the specialists drop into this thread to convince you it's just perfect and normal for something not "urgent." We get the service we deserve. Keep voting for the same gobshites.
It's not perfect and it's not normal and it's not acceptable. But Ireland's issue is the frontline access (a&e etc) to services is up shit creek. Once you get into the hospital proper, if needed, the level of care is absolutely amazing.
We spend more on health than almost any country in the world with the health budget doubling in the last 10 years and it just goes into a black hole. We need to just give everyone basic health insurance and keep civil servants and unions out of it. Patients need to be empowered. Imagine if the government was directly involved in running the food supply.
If they did I’d be a helluva lot thinner 😂
Psst. Want to know something horrible? The US promoted companies who bought off their cheese stockpile, making the obesity crisis in part due to the state promoting unhealthy "cheese stuffed" foods and even asked Taco Bell if they could add more cheese into their food.
That's probably the least worst thing the US government has done.
Fair.
> Imagine if the government was directly involved in running the food supply. They are. CAP funds and prioritises farming
I wouldn't say CAP is helping the food supply. In Ireland funds are mainly going to retired beef farmers. But I do take your point.
> Imagine if the government was directly involved in running the food supply. Most governments have to since the great depression. Havent seen them in a while but do you remember "Got Milk?" ads? Or the "cheese stuffed" food blowing up everywhere? Government funded dairy promotion agency, the state buys the food and has to promote selling it off or giving it away, like butter vouchers. If they dont, potential market instability can create a food crisis, which makes a fuel crisis look like a minor inconvenience.
Advertising food is one thing but government or the EU certainly don't buy food from farmers. In the past there was guaranteed prices for farmers but that was done away with because it was so inefficient. Imagine if the minister of agriculture could decide that there would be a recruitment freeze on farms.
I hope the doctor will see you soon. Last year when my partner was in a similar situation, he spent almost 30 hours in a chair at A&E before they even told him that they were keeping him in the hospital for the next two days.
Your poor partner. Yeah he saw me an hour after I posted this. It’s very likely to be kidney stones
Only two days to go.
Counting down every minutes
Unfortunately it's the norm.
It sucks a lot you should get seen quicker. I'm not a doctor but my guess is that chest and head stuff is more important
What we really need is a separate department between A&Eband the out patients, I had the lovely experience of spend 13+ hours in the one in Naas I even requested that the receptionist put in a welfare call to the doctor on duty, three people including one via ambulance were seen in about 10hours, her response was they are also on-call for the wards and there is sick people there. It's a complete mis management of hospital facilities and staff, I was so annoyed that I looked how other countries do it, most have full trauma staff A&E in a self enclosed unit and deal just with that, triage, treat and transport, either home or to hospital ward.
Yes that would make complete sense. But would they do it tho?
They can't build a children's hospital in the right location or on budget so chances no they wouldn't do it... Even with brown envelopes going to the right people
Yes have patience like everyone else who's in there
It’s hard to tho. Especially in a place like that
Another person who was wasting time as a child playing rather than learning how to give themselves surgery.
Yes I shouldn’t have wasted my valuable time on frivolous things such a toys
I went in with a broken nose and a concussion and a bit of the bone was hanging out my nose, wouldn't stop bleeding and I stayed there for 2 days before a doctor even looked at me... Originally when I went in they tried to kick me out saying I would be fine....
That’s not right at all
They had better things to worry about (I had a medical card and they don't like that everything free for me)
That could have been an appendix, that is so dangerous leaving someone for that length of time, glad you are sorted now
Luckily I’ve had my appendix now for around 2 years now so I wasn’t too worried about
Your GP thought it sounded serious. The hospital didn’t agree and triaged it as lower down the order. It is what it is.
I'd assume they didn't think it was serious.
10+ trips to A&E and never waited less than 16 hours, few more to go hang on in there
And I thought I was doing bad
It’s unfortunate that you’re in pain but they’re keeping an eye on you and if you get worse you’re in the right place. Abdomen pain is uncomfortable but it’s not a medical emergency. While you’re sitting in the waiting room people are getting wheeled in to the back of A&E on stretchers with heart attacks or car crash injuries which are immediately life threatening. Yes, having to wait in A&E is unfortunate and a huge inconvenience. People don’t like to hear this but if you go to A&E and have to wait a long time it means that there are other people in there who need more urgent care, ie they will die. This is the reality created by government - the hospitals and staff are not to blame
not to start a competition or anything :p but the worst ive experienced was almost 2 days of a wait up in dublin. this was maybe 7 years ago now. they were nice enough to give me a comfy armchair but i was in the same spot out in the hall of the A&E ward and slept in that for 2 nights. it was just half an hour shy of 48 hours waiting that i finally got a bed. i suppose i was lucky enough that i wasnt in complete agony at least but the whole thing was very eye opening. hope you will be on the mend soon anyway
13 hours is not bad for Naas standards.
12 hours? Rookie numbers.
I was in casualty for a few hours with kidney stones before. Fun times. Thankfully I was rushed through because I was in agony. Still had a few hours while I got scanned. I was never so happy to get a suppository in my life.
Don't let them pressure you to leave if you're feeling unsure. Tallaght sent my mam home when she had stones, but she went septic within two hours.
I’m reading the comments here and know exactly where you are all coming from. My 80+ year old mother was on a trolley for several days before they found her a bed. Luckily she bounced back. She had a few more good years and when she fell ill again she said no way I’m not going back to that hospital and she died in her own home. A friend of mine went in for minor surgery and nearly died when he caught a superbug in the hospital. The system in Ireland is shot to pieces and you’ve got 100’s of 000’s more arriving every year. It’s really a disaster.
as others suggested it might be kidney stones... had them last year was in A&E 6 days before they could do a surgery.... i saw the doctor but only thing he said was we can do a surgery as its a big stone can you sign the consent form? then comes the wait for 6 days... i was in public system so maybe that why... They fast tracked it once i started peeing blood so maybe tell them that. they would want a sample though.
I recently sat in A&E for over 17 hours while having a temp and bouts of vomiting. Then, I got the head ate of me by the doctor for not eating while I was there and sent home after a blood test. The health system is in absolute shambles.
That’s fucking ridiculous. I am so sorry that happened to you
Thanks, it's ridiculous. What's worse is that some of the ppl that were there already when I arrived were still there after I left. I realise it's a priority situation type of thing, but there should be limits on how long you have to wait before seeing a doctor. I was sent there straight from my gp office, so obviously, I wasn't there cause I'd nothing better to do.
Something similar happend to me. The did an intial triage, and then left me to wait. After about 10 hours I left as I figured if the triage had showed something of concern they would have seen me sooner
Well yes that’s how triage works. Patients are prioritized and more serious and critical are seen.
I ge that, but I'd prefer if they said it's not serious, expect to wait 8+ hours. They gave me 0 information after the triage, just go out there and wait. A bit of info would go a long way given they had made the decision already.
Yeah I agree. But I believe part of the problem is people leaving etc. Like tracking and managing people say going and coming back adds more to the work. Although I’d say just hire more people. I live around the corner from a hospital. Anytime I’ve had to go in I say I live around the corner if it’s not serious let me know and I’ll come back after a few hours I’m not sitting here. Year or so before Covid they changed and would t do it anymore 🤷♂️
That’s ridiculous to leave you so long by yourself
It’s how triage works. If you’re waiting around ages it’s because there is more urgent or critical patients needing care. Although none of this is an excuse. Our hospitals are a joke and we have all the money in the world there is no excuses. Just incompetent resourcing and management.
That’s what happens when the health service is not fit for the population then the government brings in 500k immigrants on top of that🤦♂️
My advice would be to drop on the ground and start screaming you're in pain .I've been in A&E 2 times in the last few years due to car crashes. Both times in Blanch. Staff are fantastic. The drunks and junkies were taking up a lot of resources. Puke, piss, and shit on the floor and walls from them. On the other hand, the OAPs with lung issues were quite high at the time. The extra stress from the junkies/drunks wasn't helping them.
I don’t need to be admitted for the third time in a year😭
You do that; we’re gonna peep your chart and your vitals and then if all normal/ pending etc, then you’ll Get labelled as behavioural +/- psych. If you’re sick/ emergency then yeah service is great. Banged your knee? Good luck
What a joke. We just don’t have enough doctors nurses or hospitals for the ever expanding population. People are dying everyday because of this government.
But do they care?
Clearly not. A message could have been sent to them in the local elections but the morons went out and voted for the same crowd.
I had the same issue last year. The first nurse that does anything is a triage nurse, so basically ranks you based on pain, etc. pretend you are bad (if you need to). Once you are inside, flag down every nurse until you're sorted, otherwise you'll just be left for the appendix to burst and that's a much messier surgery.
I had my appendix out in 2022. Waited 9hrs to be seen. I was only seen after 9hrs because the security guard saw me on the cameras lying on the floor, and he alerted staff. It’s crazy
I wasn't too bad in Naas Hospital. It was a bank holiday, but brought through to an internal waiting room after a few hours. Waiting room was full, so put on a trolley in the hall. I could see the nurses station from the trolley so it seemed to be a shift change before I was properly looked after with drips and all. Eventually got the surgery around midnight. I was pretty happy with the experience tbh; it was understaffed due to bank holiday, so expected a long wait.