TD's shame after child A&E visit

Snow Garden

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/government-td-kate-oconnells-shame-after-childs-ae-visit-38733687.html

A high-profile Government TD has admitted she was embarrassed to witness the overflowing A&E in Crumlin Children’s Hospital when she attended at the weekend with her sick child.

In a startling admission, Fine Gael backbencher Kate O’Connell described the state of the emergency department as “unacceptable”.

She said she was so embarrassed, she hoped nobody there would recognise her as a politician.

Ms O’Connell waited eight hours before “giving up” and bringing home her child, who was the “least sick” there.

The HSE is clearly a chaotic shambles. The same thing happened to my brother recently - he went to A&E with my 5 year old niece and left 8 hours later (4am) because he felt she would get better treatment at home. He said it was chaos in there and she was left sitting on a chair in A&E surrounded by sick adults on trolleys. It was a gamble to leave the hospital all the same because she was quite ill and running a high fever.

I am not sure why a government TD is shocked by her treatment in the A&E.

In Galway A&E about 10 years ago, there was a planned 'walk-through' by Brian Cowen who was Taoiseach at the time. Before the visit, porters removed all the trolleys to an unused room so that Cowen would not see the overcrowding on the corridors.

Is it possible that any government will tackle the wasteful monster that is the HSE?? Leo and Simon certainly are incapable.

Snow Garden

A quick google shows that HSE managers are still hiding the truth from the government.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/hospital-denies-patients-were-hidden-in-room-during-taoiseach-visit-to-ae-36815461.html

Unbelievable that this has happened in Galway A&E again.

Salary Negotiator

She’s worried about her seat is all, trying to distance herself from Murphy in particular and Varadkar.

HSE is a shambles though.

Ulysses Gaze

Snow Garden wrote: »

Is it possible that any government will tackle the wasteful monster that is the HSE?? Leo and Simon certainly are incapable.

In a word, no.

The time to have done that would have been when the Troika were here. That was the time to make the savage cuts necessary to the HSE Admin Monster.

Now is too late and I really can't see it getting any better as the population grows.

colm_mcm

So was she in the right place? Was it an emergency?

s7ryf3925pivug

colm_mcm wrote: »

So was she in the right place? Was it an emergency?

could have been an accident

Plumbthedepths

I'm surprised she even went to a public hospital.

mickdw

She is a td in government and she didn't use her connections to get taken immediately?
Hats off to her for that at least.

Spanish Eyes

Anyone with half a brain would know how things are in A+E now whether adult or children.

As other pp said, election looming.

She is a Gov member now. Better for her to tackle Simon Harris or something.

God we are mugs aren't we.

Uriel.

I would question whether she should have been in an ED in the first place. Clearly the fact that she went home without being seen suggests she shouldn't have been there in the first place.

How many people attend ED every day that could be seen in an alternative setting.

That's not the say the current system isn't a mess though.

Spanish Eyes

What model is good in EU? I think France is good, but everyone pays something I think, don't quote me!

Better to spend a mint on researching good models, than thinking it will all be ok here.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I'm surprised she even went to a public hospital.

There are no private paediatric hospitals

Iwantone

She’s only realising the state of the health service now she has to use the service herself. What an absolute donkey!

Did she not have a public run in with Coveney over the fact he didn’t back her sister.

If I was Varadkar she’d be first on my list for the boot.

Fr_Dougal

“TD in publicity stunt shocker”.

James Brown

Ulysses Gaze wrote: »

In a word, no.

The time to have done that would have been when the Troika were here. That was the time to make the savage cuts necessary to the HSE Admin Monster.

Now is too late and I really can't see it getting any better as the population grows.

Yep. Came and went under Kenny's tenure

mickdw wrote: »

She is a td in government and she didn't use her connections to get taken immediately?
Hats off to her for that at least.

I don't think she'd be that stupid.
It seems she got her pat on the head for acknowledging what the public and media have been writing and talking about for decades.

Plumbthedepths

Jayce Mango Neurologist wrote: »

There are no private paediatric hospitals

Considering she brought the child home after an 8 hour wait without being seen specialist services somehow seem unnecessary.

paw patrol

on paper she should be a great TD but in reality she is a horrible dose who offers nothing but her on sense of importance.

I get the vibe off her that she'd rather have Ciara Kellys job on newstalk blowing smoke up her own hole.

anyway I agree this is a solo run for some kudos rather than aimed at solving any issue.

James Brown

paw patrol wrote: »

on paper she should be a great TD but in reality she is a horrible dose who offers nothing but her on sense of importance.

I get the vibe off her that she'd rather have Ciara Kellys job on newstalk blowing smoke up her own hole.

anyway I agree this is a solo run for some kudos rather than aimed at solving any issue.

FF/FG need these kind of people so they can seem to have turned a corner and put a new face on themselves, (likely part of the reasoning for wasters Varadar, Harris and Murphy). People buy that sh*te. Fianna Fail are masters at it though.

TheValeyard

You know it takes a very brave person to be a Doctor or a nurse and deal with sick or terminally ill kids on a daily basis. No idea how those in A&E in Children's hospital do it which such happy faces, loving care and kindness.

bfa1509

Snow Garden wrote: »

In Galway A&E about 10 years ago, there was a planned 'walk-through' by Brian Cowen who was Taoiseach at the time. Before the visit, porters removed all the trolleys to an unused room so that Cowen would not see the overcrowding on the corridors.

Probably moved at the request of... Brian Cowen.

I know when Enda Kenny visited UHG a few years after, they painted only the corridors that he was passing through. In fairness, I blame the incompetence of the management. There's only so much money the government can throw at it.

Fr_Dougal

She’s best friends with Maria Bailey, her FB picture was of herself and Bailey until news broke about Bailey. Apparently she removed it 10min after.

Politics, baby.

Arghus

I'm pretty cynical about her suddenly realising that the health system is a joke, right before a General Election.

Either she's lived in a nice comfortable Fine Gael existence for the last two decades and this was her first experience of having her face rubbed into the faceful of shit that passes for a health service for the rest of us. If that's the case, no wonder she was shocked.

Spanish Eyes

Best to be a cynic first, and then roll back from that somehow, than being a believer first and forever be an idiot.

SEPT 23 1989

I have been to Tallaght children’s A&E on a few occasions and whoever is running it should be put in charge of the whole HSE

It works

Reputable Rog

Crocodile tears from a Tory TD.

HorrorScope

Come to University Hospital Limerick and let’s see you write an article by Thursday next week (you’ll probably be laying on a bed in a draughty hall until weds at the earliest)

Heroditas

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have been to Tallaght children’s A&E on a few occasions and whoever is running it should be put in charge of the whole HSE

It works

I've had to bring one of my daughters there twice and the service was superb. Far better than Crumlin anyway which is an awful run down dump.

mountai

How to "Cure the HSE" . All politicians ( and their families) should not be allowed access any hospital or medical service using private health insurance . Ditto for senior civil servants . Ditto for union leaders . All back room staff in HSE be sacked and rehired by committee of Doctors and Nurses in loco , including all management . All front line staff , immediate 40% salary increase and hiring of agency staff banned . Watch how quickly changes would happen .

Salary Negotiator

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

I have been to Tallaght children’s A&E on a few occasions and whoever is running it should be put in charge of the whole HSE

It works

I’ve no idea if this is related but I work for a medical sales company and Tallaght have a separate contract with us, most other hospitals in Ireland operate under a HSE regional contract.

SEPT 23 1989

Salary Negotiator wrote: »

I’ve no idea if this is related but I work for a medical sales company and Tallaght have a separate contract with us, most other hospitals in Ireland operate under a HSE regional contract.

Maybe that’s what’s going on

Beechwoodspark

Reputable Rog wrote: »

Crocodile tears from a Tory TD.

This.

All an act.