Fatally ill man told no doctors available

A man recovering in a major hospital from a stent procedure died after complaining of chest pains and being told a consultant would not be available to see him until the following day, his family have said.

Father of six Andrew Doherty, aged 82, from Cheekpoint, Co Waterford, died at University Hospital Waterford (UHW), where round-the-clock coronary care is not available despite the facility catering for a regional population of up to 500,000 people.

His widow, Rita Doherty, yesterday called for an apology from the hospital, saying she was told Andrew was having a “panic attack” on the evening of Sunday, November 9, and to go home and allow him to rest. Within hours, he was dead.