Pensioner waits 18 hours on trolley

Pensioner waits 18 hours on trolley

14 December 2011 - by DAVID TELFORD

A DOWNPATRICK pensioner has been forced to wait on a hospital trolley for 18 hours after falling and breaking her hip.

Teresa Lavery fell outside her Ballymote Park home last Sunday evening, just three days after celebrating her 76th birthday.

She was taken to the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald arriving around 9pm, but wasn’t admitted to a ward until after 3pm the following afternoon due to a lack of beds.

The emergency department was extremely busy when Mrs. Lavery arrived and despite initial fears the pensioner would have to wait until after Christmas to have her hip pinned, the procedure was scheduled for late yesterday afternoon.

Her grandson Ryan said he is “greatly concerned” his grandmother had to wait 18 hours for a bed after breaking her hip.

“The Ambulance Service, doctors and nurses were all brilliant, but my grandmother should not have had to spend almost a day waiting to be admitted to a ward,” he declared.

“The trolley gran was placed in was quite narrow and she had hardly room to move. She didn’t sleep well and did complain of being sore.”

Mr. Lavery said there were a lot of people in the hospital’s emergency department when his grandmother arrived and after being seen by medical staff, efforts were made to secure her a bed, but these proved unsuccessful.

The pensioner’s grandson also believes if the Housing Executive had responded to requests for additional safety measures outside his grandmother’s Downpatrick home, she may not have fallen last weekend.

He explained while repairs were carried out to an uneven paving stone on a path which links her home to the main road, its height was increased which poses problems for his grandmother.

Mr. Lavery said a request for an additional handrail outside his grandmother’s home was refused by Executive officials, despite the request being supported by his grandmother’s occupational therapist.

A spokeswoman for the South Eastern Trust said Mrs. Lavery was examined by a doctor when she arrived at the Ulster Hospital and was x-rayed and given medication.

“The patient was seen, diagnosed and treated in a timely fashion but unfortunately there was no bed available. She was accommodated on a proper bed in the emergency department and pain relief continued to be administered.

“Mrs. Lavery did not leave to go to the ward until 3.15pm on Monday afternoon, a regrettable wait of 18 hours. The delay was caused by pressures currently being experienced at the hospital,” the spokeswoman added.

A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said a maintenance officer was at her home last week and advised the pensioner she did not need an additional hand rail, but agreed to a request for repairs to her back yard.

“There was no request regarding the front steps and an inspection of these yesterday did not reveal any repair work required. Mrs. Lavery’s grandson has been in contact with the Executive to request a number of adaptations to help his grandmother, both inside and outside her home.

“He was advised that the Executive will carry out any adaptations requested by the occupational therapist and to contact his grandmother’s OT regarding these.,” she added.