Patients sent home to wait for free beds

PATIENTS at a Dublin hospital are being asked to “queue” at home for a bed rather than in an overcrowded A&E department.

The ‘queue at home’ system, adopted by the Mater Hospital with the approval of its board, means some patients judged fit for admission on assessment in A&E are being advised to wait at home for beds by individual consultants.

A spokesperson for the hospital said it was to alleviate the trauma of waiting on trolleys and chairs, which can last for days.