We don’t need any more ‘illness vultures’

I hear a lot about hospitals being overcrowded. After my experience at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, I believe that, except for the A&E, most of it is their own fault.

1) I was ordered there from south Wicklow, for early morning appointments, four times, for matters that could easily have been handled at Arklow Health Centre, or by my GP.

2) One was a repeat of something that Arklow had done. Another could easily have been handled by telephone. My polite remarks on those facts were treated with near-contempt. One answer was that some people had to come from New Ross, with the insinuation that coming from south Wicklow gave me no reason to complain.

3) I mentioned that my wife had died three weeks before, about 50 yards from where I had been lying for one test. That nurse said that she was sorry. Not one of the doctors asked me how I felt, however many times they looked at their papers, which presumably concerned me — their patient.

4) I gave a blood sample at least once and urine three or four times. I was never told why and was never given a result.

5) I was never given one, single piece of advice on how to stay healthy.

We need quite a few more people in the ‘health’ service who are actually interested in health. We also need a few people who are capable of organising hospitals. We do not need more of the illness vultures called doctors.

Richard Barton

Tinahely

Co Wicklow