Older patients being left hungry and out-patient appointments which involve sitting around all day are among the sources of public dissatisfaction with the health services, a new report says.
More than 1,500 people responded to an invitation to tell the Department of Health and Children what they thought of the health services, in preparation for the publication of the national health strategy.
The strategy was published before Christmas and the report on the consultation exercise was published yesterday.
It reveals deep public dissatisfaction with a health system which is often seen as arrogant and uncaring.
An analysis of a sample of 300 responses found that only GP services were experienced as positive by most users, and then by just over half (57 per cent).
The greatest dissatisfaction was with hospital emergency departments, with 83 per cent of users reporting negative experiences.
One respondent pleaded for the employment of people to help older patients with their meals. This person referred to "very nice food left on a big table, with elderly patients, some after a stroke, some very weak and not able to cut up their food or butter their bread or open jam or marmalade."
Another respondent complained that "the tray was left, the patient was weak and could not pour out her pot of tea, so I, a visitor, helped her with her meal."
The main focus of attention with regard to organisation of hospitals was on waiting times for out-patient departments, the report said.
"People are very annoyed by having to wait in out-patient departments. 'Same-time' appointments for large numbers generated strong criticism."
"I waited five months for an appointment to see a rheumatologist," one patient complained. "When I eventually got my appointment at [name not included] hospital, I took a day's leave. My appointment was at 9.30 a.m.
"At 3.30 that afternoon, I still had not seen Dr X and was informed that Dr X would not be attending his clinic that day. No reason was given and to make matters worse I had to pay £5 in the car park. So I lost a day's leave, was out of pocket for travelling and parking expenses and had a two-hour journey home.
"I understand from many people since that this is a common occurrence with Dr X's clinics. I hold a medical card on account of my arthritis."
There were many complaints about the lack of help for people with depression and other mental illnesses, particularly the reliance on medication to the exclusion of counselling.
"She goes to a clinic each week, only to receive her medication," one respondent said of a close relative. "There seems to be no time available to chat to people, to find out how they are, how things are going for them etc. They are rushed in and out, like luggage on a conveyor belt."
The full report, Your View About Health, can be downloaded from the website of the Department of Health and Children's website at www.doh.ie/ publications/consult.html