Last Friday, a constituent of mine from Wicklow presented at St. Vincent's University Hospital A and E after suffering a suspected mini-stroke. He was vulnerable and afraid but after being seen was told nothing would happen over the weekend. He was told to go home and come back on Monday. He did exactly that. Yesterday morning, he went back as instructed but then had to wait for hour after hour. Morning turned to night, and at midnight he was still left sitting in the A and E, which was absolutely bursting at the seams. Then the reality of it came. After being admitted, there were no beds, not even a trolley. He was given a chair and placed in a shower room in the A and E, with four other men and a woman, all of whom were patients. All were left sitting because there was nowhere else to put them. They were left there for several more hours. That is not care or dignity, and it is totally unacceptable. Under the Taoiseach’s watch, as this is happening, what is he doing in the here and now to address this crisis within our A and Es, not just at St. Vincent's down the road but also right across the State?

Sentiment score: -0.17

A mini-stroke.

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