'Leo, visit Limerick's emergency department': 92-year-old woman on trolley for 105 hours

THE INFURIATED family of a 92-year-old woman who this week spent at least 105 hours on a trolley, has called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to witness Limerick’s overcrowding crisis during his visit this Thursday.

This follows the Limerick Leader’s survey on patient and staff experience in relation to overcrowding at UHL, which received close to 500 respondents in the space of a few days. 

Leo Varadkar is in Limerick all-day on Thursday, attending functions at City Hall, University of Limerick, Limerick city centre, and Thomond Park. However, there is nothing in the Taoiseach’s schedule in relation to University Hospital Limerick, the most overcrowded hospital in the country. 

Annie McGirl, (92), was brought to UHL’s emergency department by ambulance last Thursday at 11am, and was left on a trolley until Monday night or the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Annie’s granddaughter Michelle Roughan claimed there was “nothing ever written on her [medical] notes” between receiving a CT scan on Friday evening and Monday afternoon, all while being on a trolley.

She said that they asked UHL if the Shannon pensioner could be treated at Ennis Hospital. However, she said they were told that she needed to be treated in Dooradoyle. 

On Saturday afternoon, Michelle’s mother and sister were told that there were “no updates” on Annie’s condition. At this stage, Michelle said, Annie was “feeling confused. It was absolutely heartbreaking to think that she was sitting on a corridor on her own at that age,” she said this Tuesday. 

On Sunday, Michelle said that they were told Annie “is priority and that she is first on the list for a bed”. However, by 9pm on Sunday, they were told that there were no beds.

The family were informed on Monday morning that Annie was to receive another CT scan. Ms Roughan said when she asked a nurse when she was to receive a CT scan, a nurse read through her grandmother’s notes and confirmed that she wasn’t receiving the scan.

“What she was looking at was Friday’s notes, and that there was nothing ever written in her notes. The last thing that was written in her notes was Friday, and there was nothing else added.”

Michelle said that her mother left the hospital on Monday at 8.30pm when Annie was still on a trolley, 105 hours after attending the ED.

The family were informed that Annie secured a bed on Monday night or Tuesday morning, and was later transferred to Ennis.

She said: “I would like if Simon Harris or Leo Varadkar to come down and arrive down and maybe they sit there and witness what we had to witness. It was just unbelievable how they think they can sit up there and think: ‘Oh no, Limerick is fine.’ It’s just absolutely not.”

Mayor of Limerick City and County, Cllr James Collins emailed the Taoiseach, urging him to visit UHL during as part of his visit.

The Leader contacted the Taoiseach’s office three times since Friday, asking if he was to visit UHL this Thursday, but did not receive a response. 

UL Hospitals Group said that it "sincerely regrets that any patient has to face long waits in our ED during busy periods and any distress or inconvenience this causes to patients and their loved ones.

"When a patient attends the ED, they are triaged and observations recorded by nursing staff. Patients continue to be cared for by nursing staff whilst awaiting medical/surgical intervention. Once the decision is made to admit a patient, relevant documentation and interventions are completed by nursing staff, taking into account specific patient requirements and medical/surgical admitting physician requests while awaiting an inpatient bed.

"Every patient’s care is documented on their chart and notes, this information is not on display in ED or at the bedside on wards, all patient notes and charts are held at the nurse’s station and care of patients is updated on these notes/charts from this location.

"The ED at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is one of the busiest in the country and the numbers presenting continues to increase year on year. Attendances exceeded 67,800 in 2017, a growth of over 5% on the previous year. Attendances to the end of December 2018 were 71,823 - an increase of 6.2% on 2017."