‘Indefensible’ that patients turned away from A&E, says senator

A senator has hit out at the Government after the emergency department of University Hospital Waterford (UHW) was forced to turn patients away due to overcrowding.

Local Sinn Féin councillor David Cullinane said it is unacceptable that patients are being turned away from the main hospital in the region.

His comments came after it emerged that last Tuesday evening, a call was made to ambulance control by emergency department consultant Brendan McCann, instructing them to divert patients to Wexford and Kilkenny after the emergency department at UHW reached full capacity. It is understood this order stayed in place until Wednesday at 6pm.