Special A&E care urged for elderly

Outrage over a couple in their 90s who were left lying on hospital trolleys for hours has prompted calls for a dedicated official to be present in all emergency departments to oversee the care of elderly patients.

HSE officials are now examining why the husband, with Parkinson’s, was left on a trolley at Tallaght Hospital while the hospital itself last night said it was investigating how the patient’s private details had been leaked.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny faced accusations in the Dáil yesterday of failing to ease overcrowding in hospitals, after promising two years ago he would take personal charge of the crisis.