"Frustrating Time at Blanchardstown Hospital"

I have to share this story as based on my experience, I feel that it's an absolute disgrace as to how we as Irish tax payers are treated by the public health system.

I recently attended my local GP with abdominal pains. He immediately referred me to hospital with suspected appendicitis.

I presented at James Connolly Blanchardstown at 8.17pm. I was seen by a triage nurse at 8.27pm I was told by the triage nurse that there were a few ahead of me and that it would be a 4 hour wait. Ha, little did I know!

At 3.30am I spoke to receptionist & asked if I could leave which she said no not until a nurse spoke to me. At 4.30am the nurse spoke to me and advised it wouldn't be too much longer so I waited.

At 9.30am I was called in by a doctor. At long last 13 hours later I was able to leave the waiting area. After that everything went very smoothly.

I think the conditions in that hospital are absolutely disgusting. Between 12.30-8am there was 1 person called from the waiting room & 4 ambulances. Not 1 person was discharged.

Are the night staff just there to cover the people who have already got through the double doors to stage 2 & ambulances?

How in this day & age the HSE can leave people waiting for 13 hours to see a doctor/nurse amazes me & quite frankly disgusts me. Yes the triage nurse sees people very quickly but after that forget it. There were people there with all sorts of ailments I.e. Broken bones, chest pains, etc. There was a young lady there for 6 hours who was extremely unwell. Unfortunately her mother & herself left as she was too sick to wait any longer. I completely understand that ambulances with SICK people get priority and I wouldn't have it any other way but unfortunately not everyone who arrived by ambulance were emergencies in my view. This was an extra pressure on the staff and they appeared to deal with this in an extremely professional manner but very hard for them after a long night shift. The staff seem to have a terrible time dealing with all incidents and when you do get to see the staff behind the double doors they cannot be faulted. Their service & professionalism is fantastic. It's just a terrible pity you have to wait 13 hours to see what a doctor/nurse look like.

I will never be returning to that hospital and neither will any of my family. Luckily for me I have medical insurance but what happens to the people who don't. I wouldn't like to think how I would cope if I had to bring an elderly person into that a&e by car because I certainly wouldn't expect an 80 year old to sit on one of those chairs for 13 hours.

I think more staff definitely required as the workload seems extremely unfair on those staff members & that was certainly not an overload of patients coming through the doors during my 13 hour wait.