10-hour hospital A&E wait an 'utter disgrace'

10-hour hospital A&E wait an 'utter disgrace'

28 August 2024

A DOWNPATRICK woman has described the accident and emergency department at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald as an “utter disgrace”.

Mrs Phil Prendergast waited for over ten hours after she was rushed to the hospital last Wednesday night suffering from a severe stomach pain.

Exhausted and fed up, she went home without seeing a doctor owing to a family commitment.

A 96 year-old woman, who was sitting beside her, had an even longer wait.

Mrs Prendergast says she has decided to speak out in the hope that something will be done to reduce the time people have to wait in A & E departments.

“I understand they can be busy, particularly at weekends, but this was the middle of the week and I was told that it was like this all the time,” she remarked.

“It’s not the fault of the doctors and nurses. They do a marvellous job, but they are made to work in an intolerable environment.

“I know mine is not the worst scenario and that many people have had to wait longer, but we need to speak out and say this is not on.

“What sort of a health service do we have? It’s an absolute scandal.”

Mrs Prendergast’s nightmare began on Wednesday evening when she took an acute pain in her stomach after having dinner at her Dufferin Park home.

“I was nearly fainting with the pain so my husband, Hugh, drove me straight to the urgent care centre at the Downe Hospital,” she recalled.

“Because we hadn’t phoned in advance we were told we could not get in. We were in dire straits. As Hugh rang 999 a doctor came out. He said he was the only medic on duty and could not treat me. After a quick examination he told Hugh to take me to the Ulster Hospital immediately.”

“We got there at 8.20pm and it was full up. I sat in a wheelchair and for a time Hugh had to stand beside me because there were no other seats available.

“I was triaged and my bloods were taken, and then we waited to see a doctor. The pain started to ease, but I was falling off the chair with exhaustion. At 5.40am the following morning we had to leave because my husband had to take our grandson to work.

“Before leaving I was told the blood tests were back and they indicated high blood pressure. They wanted me to stay and wait for the doctor, but how long was that going to take?

“There was a lady beside us who was 96 and had travelled from Hillsborough because she could not get into the Lagan Valley Hospital. She had arrived before us and was still waiting when we left. My heart went out for her.

“I went home and slept for a few hours before ringing our GP surgery. I got an examination the next day and was given some medication.”

Mrs Prendergast says her experience at the Ulster Hospital was unacceptable in a modern society.

“it is an utter disgrace to be made to wait that long, but apparently it’s happening all the time. People really need to speak out because it is not going to get any better unless they do.”

A spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust said the organisation could not comment on any patient in order to protect their confidentiality.

However, the spokesperson said the continued pressure across all emergency departments was well documented.

“Our excellent staff work very hard to see patients as quickly as possible, always prioritising according to clinical need,” the spokesperson continued.

“It is vital to assess and treat our sickest patients first, so regrettably if a patient’s condition is not life threatening, they may have to wait longer.”

The spokesperson added: “Our consultant-led Minor Injury Unit at the Ulster Hospital is also available, seven days a week from 8am to 6pm to treat anyone who does not require emergency care.

“Patient safety remains our priority.”