Woman waiting 60 hours for bed as Tallaght Hospital urges public to stay away

There are long delays this morning in Tallaght Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department, with management urging people to visit their GP if at all possible.

Today there are a total of 57 patients on trolleys in Tallaght, the highest number in the state, with at least one woman waiting more than 60 hours for a bed.

Speaking to Echo.ie, the woman’s husband Ken Whelan said his wife Nicola is suffering from her third bout of sepsis and has been awaiting a bed since Monday evening.

He said: “My sick wife has spent 60 hours on a trolley now in a noisy thoroughfare, she’s nominally in a ward but there is no room or bed for her.

“The message we want to get across is that the patients are suffering because of this trolley crisis.

“Nicola is one of 57 patients currently on a trolley in Tallaght Hospital.

“She’s located in a spot that I’m told contravenes fire safety standards and she has not been able to get any rest due to the constant noise.

“There is a fluorescent light directly above her that she had to fight to get switched off as it was blinding her and causing massive headaches.”

Images shared by the worried husband show his wife’s trolley next to a nurse’s station with no privacy.

In a statement from Tallaght Hospital, management said: “The Hospital’s Adult Emergency Department (ED) is experiencing a very high number of emergency attendances which is resulting in longer patient waiting times.

“We are asking the public where possible to attend their GP or out of hours GP services in the first instance.

“ED patients are seen according to clinical need which may result in patients with minor illnesses or injuries experiencing delays.

“Thank you for your cooperation during this busy period.”

For more information check out http://www.tallaghthospital.ie/