Patient tells of trolley dilemma

Patient tells of trolley dilemma

10 September 2014

A WOMAN took her elderly father-in-law home from THE Downe A&E rather than see him endure a lengthy trolley wait transfer to the Ulster Hospital, an inquiry has heard.

Ursula Jess had nothing but praise for the Downe Hospital Emergency Department staff who treated the 83-year-old in June when he suddenly took ill while out in Ballynahinch.

However, that evening, after tests indicated her father-in-law needed to be admitted to hospital, the problem arose of where to treat him.

“He was to be admitted but they said there were no beds in the Downe,” said Mrs. Jess.

New opening hours dictate the Downe A&E closes at 8pm and this patient needed 24 hour supervision. There were no suitable beds in either the Downe or the Lagan Valley hospitals and the family were warned he could be on the trolley all night at the Ulster Hospital.

“I was very disappointed that he was being taken to a trolley at 10pm at night,” she said. “That is why I decided to ring up and complain.

“He was an 83-year-old man with vascular dementia who was being put on a trolley.

“There were beds in Downpatrick he could have been put in.”

Mrs. Jess said she would have been very happy for him to have remained at the Downe.

“At Downpatrick hospital we didn’t wait too long, they were fantastic with him,” she said. “The staff were absolutely excellent.”

Mrs. Jess said they promptly enquired if her father-in-law was diabetic, which he was, and ensured he got fed straight away.

Mrs. Jess told the The Human Rights Commission inquiry into emergency health care that she was not happy to send him to the Ulster when it was clear he would be on a trolley for some time.

She said they took the decision to call 999 instead if his condition deteriorated again that evening.

“My husband and I decided to sign him out,” she said.

Mrs. Jess, who said she used to clean the Downshire Hospital, said she realised how clean the Downe was when she wiped up some milk they had spilt on the floor.

“There was no dirt that came off, it was spotless,” she said.

Mrs. Jess also noticed the beds being washed in-between patient use, which “you do not see too often”.