Sir, - I and others warned through your columns of the problems that would occur when the Adelaide and Meath Hospitals closed in inner Dublin in June 1998 and moved to Tallaght with a complement of approximately 120 fewer in-patient beds - at a time when the Meath casualty department was overcrowded. The prediction was borne out. For example, from January 1st to June 30th 2000, once a decision had been made in the Accident and Emergency department that the patient should be admitted, 30 per cent of patients waited more than 12 hours (some of them waited 4 or 5 days). A further 30 per cent waited between four and eight hours, all on trolleys. (In most European countries now, and in Ireland until the mid 1980s, admission to a designated ward would be immediate.)
The sad letter from Dermot McGrath (July 8th) reflects the totally unacceptable conditions in our new hospital. Prior to the move two years ago, we were promised 70 extra beds which were to be built and ready for occupation within a year. We now hear that the beds may be ready for occupation at the end of this year, the delay being yet another example of the lack of concern about the sickest patients in our community lying on trolleys for many hours. It was with disbelief that we heard that, although the new 70 bed unit may open at the end of the year, it is planned to close 56 of the original beds, leaving a net increase of only 14 beds, perhaps to maintain the practice of making the sickest patients lie on trolleys for many hours in the accident and emergency department?
In January only patients with malignant disease or elective orthopaedic patients were to be admitted to the hospital without going through the Accident and Emergency department - an extraordinary admission policy. Very sick patients with any other condition would have to go through the Accident and Emergency department.
I would encourage more of your readers to complain about their acutely ill relatives who were kept for many hours on trolleys before gaining admission to a ward. We have a new Minister for Health who, I am sure, when correctly informed of the situation that exists in the hospital, can be persuaded to properly fund it. - Yours, etc.,
Gerald H. Tomkin, MD, FRCPI, FACP, FRCP (Lond), Consultant Physician, Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2.