Staff did not recognise patient on trolley who had heart attack

A male patient who left his hospital trolley to buy a coffee in a garage across the road suffered a cardiac arrest and was brought back by ambulance to the same hospital where staff did not recognise him.

Describing the incident, Claire Mahon, president of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said it took 10 minutes before staff at the midlands hospital realised the man had already been in their care.

Ms Mahon said she mentioned the incident not as a criticism of staff but to highlight the serious impact continuing nursing shortages are having on the quality of patient care.