patient's trolley taken when in the toilet.

  • Thread starter icantbelieveitstaken
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icantbelieveitstaken

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There's something a bit suspect about this story. I've had the misfortune to be in Tallaght hospital during some of their crisis periods and the staff don't just do things like this for no good reason. The fact that this person was discharged 45 minutes after being moved to a ward only increases my suspicions. This sounds to me like this person didn't actually need hospitalisation and that they were taking up a trolley when other more seriously ill patients required one. The only flaw in my theory is that I can't understand why anyone would want to spend three days on a trolley if they don't have to but it's also true that you see some very strange people in A&E.
 
patients

o well, what can you say, he was definately off his trolley.


 
Re: patients

When I heard the report on the radio the guy said that he knew the nurse in question (because he has a condition which has had him in the hospital on a few occasions) and she knew him.

I don't think he was giving out about that particular nurse, but more about the general state of the health services and this was just a particular instance.

I presume nobody would begrudge a more-injured patient a service when it wasn't essential, and I don't think this was the case with this guy. He just sounded like he was a little lost when told to go find another trolley - you can imagine the situations that could develop if patients were sent off to find their own equipment - "Give me that bleedin' trolley or I'll break your *other* arm"

He also said that he would far prefer to be at home for the 3 days rather than waiting around getting stressed out and occupying space and time in the hospital and that he went because his doctor thought his condition needed checking.

In fairness, it must have been a quiet news day for RTE to feature this on the 1 o'clock news without any backup report from the hospital.

z
 
Re: patients

> In fairness, it must have been a quiet news day for RTE to feature this on the 1 o'clock news

Front page of today's Irish Times too.
 
A&E

Why does the Irish times or RTE not run stories about the scumbags (from all walks of life) who go to A&E when they have a condition that could be seen by a GP?
I would say it accounts for about 40% of patients seen.
The wife is a Doctor, I base my % on that.
 
Re: A&E

Purple - good question, I think it may be related to the fact that Joe Public isn't a trained medical professional and so may not be in a position to determine whether they ought to go to hospital or to their GP and so opts for the the place where all the specialists are rather than going to a GP and then being told to go to the place where all the specialists are.

I acknowledge that much time and money is probably wasted in these circumstances, but that doesn't mean that Joe Public is in a position to decide for themselves.

z
 
which is cheaper?

1 Which is cheaper? GP or A&E?

2 It's also a long-standing habit in poorer areas to go to the hospital rather than see ones own doctor.

&3 "I wouldn't want to disturb my GP with this complaint/at this hour/he's not sympathetic/been there but he wouldn't prescribe/ etc etc etc"

Worked in A&E years ago, doubt it's changed much - just more trolleys! People did come in with very minor (in our eyes) complaints - but sometimes if you are frightened (or been frightened by a friend - "the colleague of a brother-in-law had this and died suddenly after 3 days" - you just have to go and get reassurance/treatment. Back then, we were VERY unsympathetic to suicide attempters. We didn't know any better.

ANyway, that's why the VHI have 'nurseline' (?) for triage and a very good idea it is too. There should be one run by the Health Boards thats well publised and free. But maybe that's one for the Institute of Simple Ideas!
 
Re: A&E

Purple,
the scumbags (from all walks of life)
Click to expand...

I'm not disagreeing with your point about people visiting their GP vs visiting A&E but does your medic wife think that 40% of her patients are scumbags?

Sluice
 
Scumbags

Were these people scumbags before they turned up in A&E or just because of it?
 
..

Are easy have you found it these days to find a GP willing to make a house call out of hours. My GP works 6 hours a day, outside that you might as well be trying to invite the Queen of England to your house for all the likliehood of him making a house call.
 
a&e

I would suspect that the 40% of the people were scumbags before they turned up at the A&E.

40% doesn't seem too unreasonable an estimate.
 
Re: a&e

Are easy have you found it these days to find a GP willing to make a house call out of hours.
Click to expand...

Some health boards (including the NEHB) have introduced Doctor on Call services to provide out-of-hours GP services including house calls. In our area the service works well and is invaluable.
 
Re.A&E

Zag-
Joe Public isn't a trained medical professional and so may not be in a position to determine whether they ought to go to hospital or to their GP
Click to expand...
It's called Accident and emergency. So if it's not an accident or an emergency then don't go there for treatment. If you are not sure then go to your GP first and he/she will refer you.
Spacer-
Were these people scumbags before they turned up in A&E or just because of it
Click to expand...
because of it.
legend99-
My GP works 6 hours a day, outside that you might as well be trying to invite the Queen of England to your house for all the likelihood of him making a house call.
Click to expand...
if you are the registered patient of a GP they have a legal obligation to provide 24hour cover. Whether it is a locum agency, a co-op or themselves.
They get paid enough to do it and if it really is urgent then they, for the most part, don't mind.
On a side note my wife (a GP) has commented that people on the medical card would account for 1/3 of patients but 80% of call outs at night. She had been called out at 3am by people who have run out of Calpol for the kids, and then been verbally abused when she did not provide a bottle.
 
.


That is very interesting.

It seems that people will value a service by how much they pay for it. (As a side issue, I'd love to see how much extra waste people on waivers produce)
 
free = not valued

Obviously if a service is free at the point of delivery it will be abused.

Not just medical cards, but lots of things in life.
 
Re: free = not valued

Obviously if a service is free at the point of delivery it will be abused.
Click to expand...
Yeah - Let's start charging for schools, roads, gardai, libraries quick.....
 
all at the margin

I won't go into the economics of it, but things that are free do tend to get abused.

What I mean is overused. The value or benefit to the user is less than the cost to society to provide them. But as the individual user does not themself bear the cost, then they continue to overuse.

Examples:

Roadspace in city centres
Public water supply
Traditional refuse collection services

Policymakers are introducing pricing schemes to deal with overuse, e.g. congestion charging, water metering, etc.

Socialists have nothing to fear here, these pricing systems will benefit society, and other taxes can be re-adjusted so that the worse-off in society don't lose out.

Education is different, as use of it benefits, as well as costs, society. So it makes sense for society to pay for or subsidise much education.

I could continue, but have exam papers to set.
 
.

Good idea Rainyday. That way I only have to pay for stuff I actually use. (Of course, it would put the inland gestapo out of business)
 
Re.all at the margin

That's what I was going to say Protocol except you said it better than i would have.
Oh for an education!

Don't get me wrong, I think the majority of GP's overcharge. The place where da missus works charges €30 for a surgery visit and €45 for a house call. Any repeat visits for the same thing are free.
 
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