85-year-old woman in two-hour search for hospital bed

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney has been accused of treating people like cattle after an acutely ill 85-year-old woman was shuttled between Dublin hospitals in a two-hour search for a bed.

Eventually, the seriously ill woman ended up on a trolley in Tallaght Hospital after her arduous ambulance tour of Dublin.

Fine Gael’s Dr James Reilly referred to the case as “a modern day ‘no room at the inn’ story” and a symbol of all that is wrong with the health service when a 20-minute ambulance transfer turns into a two-hour ordeal.

Nursing Homes Ireland expressed outrage at the shocking treatment of the woman. “The nursing home was advised that Beaumont Hospital was closed to admissions and that the Mater was also unable to take admissions as there was a nine-hour wait. The patient arrived at St James’s Hospital and was again refused admission. The ambulance crew continued to Tallaght Hospital where the patient was admitted and spent the night on a trolley. Refusal was due to lack of acute beds available for admissions,” said Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland.

“We cannot underestimate the unnecessary stress and suffering caused to an elderly patient, who is sent around the system like this in search of a bed. It is unacceptable and unnecessary,” he added.

His organisation estimates that, in the Dublin area alone, there are between 400-500 acute hospital beds being used by non-acute patients awaiting discharge to nursing homes, but there is no funding to place them.

“With the per week cost of an acute hospital bed estimated at e7,000-e8,000, and a nursing home bed at between e1,000-e1,300, this is clearly an area where the Government could immediately make savings of up to e2.4 million per week, while making acute beds available for patients who really need them,” he said.

The NHI estimates that there are 300 nursing home beds available in the Dublin area and 1,800 nationwide.

Meanwhile, Dr James Reilly TD said: “This shows the insanity of removing more beds as the minister and the HSE envisage in their cost cutting agenda. The HSE’s view of patients as pieces on a chessboard, that can be just moved around as the situation dictates, does not save money.

“I am relieved to say that the patient in question is now receiving hospital treatment but I regret to add that it is on a trolley. The present economic crisis has led to questions about how we function as a society. If this is the way our elderly are treated, those questions have been delivered a devastating answer.

“I again appeal to the Health Minister to avail of the long stay beds which are available so that this situation can begin to be addressed.”