Apology for mother who slept on hospital floor by son’s side

THE head of a children’s hospital has apologised to a mother who was only given a pillow and blanket when she spent the night by her sick child’s bedside.

Temple Street Children’s Hospital chief executive Paul Cunniffe said the hospital tried to provide parents with chairs and, in some wards, it was also the practice to provide mattresses on the floor beside the cot.

“We are sorry that the woman had to sleep on the floor,” he said yesterday.

The Dublin hospital was considering providing mattresses for parents in every ward, if it was feasible.

“We are also looking at other ways of allowing parents to stay overnight with their children,” he said.

The mother, who called RTÉ’s Liveline, also claimed there were around six mothers lying on the floor in the same ward last Wednesday night.

Mr Cunniffe said he had spoken to the director of nursing about the woman’s experience, which came as a surprise to him, to ensure proper facilities were provided.

The hospital does encourage parents to stay with their children and most of them do, but it was not normal practice to allow parents to sleep on the floor beside them because ward space was limited.

The woman, known as Audrey, said it was dreadful that parents had to lie on the bare floor beside their sick children.

“I was lucky. I only had to stay for 24 hours but some of those mothers will be lying on the floor again tonight,” she said.

Audrey said her son had received excellent care.