No Ambulance for patient who had to make his own way from Enniskillen to Derry
AN 86-YEAR-OLD MAN who was told by staff at South West Acute Hospital he needed surgery at Altnagelvin in Derry was also told there was no ambulance available to take him there.
The patient, described as being in ‘extreme pain’, was forced to find his own way from the South West Acute hospital in Enniskillen to Altnagelvin hospital in Derry – in what an MLA has described as a ‘fiasco’.
The pensioner, from Fivemiletown, was taken to the South West Acute Hospital in the town, and, when he was told that, the following day, he would have to undergo surgery – the nurse also told him an ambulance was unavailable and he had to travel up to Altnagelvin himself.
DUP MLA Lord Maurice Morrow said: “His elderly wife was contacted, and she was frantic trying to arrange transport. She doesn’t drive, and trying to get transport organised at such short notice and under incredible pressure to meet a slot for surgery was distressful for both.”
He added: “Patients, particularly elderly persons, should not be put in a position where they have to arrange their own transport between hospitals for treatment.”
The incident took place last week, and, since then, the MLA had been attempting to make contact with members of the Northern Ireland Ambulance service. When he managed to get in contact, he said they assured him that the matter would be investigated.
Lord Morrow added: “Just imagine the circumstances of two elderly people, one of whom is weak, in pain and requiring surgery, the other beside herself with worry and put under tremendously undue stress, having to arrange their own transport to ensure important surgery is able to proceed. Neither of them should have had to go through this trauma at what was already a very worrying time,” he added.
The Northern Ireland Ambulance service (NIAS) confirmed that an investigation is ongoing.
The NIAS operate a two tier delivery of services: Firstly, the provision of an A&E or urgent response to situations that arise without warning, and the second is a non-emergency tier which is centred around planned response and deals with providing transport for outpatient clinics and inter-hospital transfers for planned procedures where paramedic intervention is not required.
A spokesman said: “NIAS received a call from SWAH at approximately 4pm on (Tuesday) 13 August requesting transport to Altnagelvin hospital on August 14 for this patient, and an escort, to attend a routine procedure.
“Unfortunately, the work for the non-emergency tier for the next day had been planned and no capacity was available within the system to transport this patient on that day as a non-emergency/urgent patient. This information was relayed to the hospital staff.”
The spokesman explained that NIAS had in place an agreement with Western HSC Trust that it would provide transport between SWAH and Altanagelvin, where this procedure is performed, on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week.
He went on: “On Tuesday, 13 August NIAS transported three patients as urgent or emergency transfers between SWAH and Altnagelvin, and on Wednesday 14 August, two patients were similarly transferred.
“The Trust, who would never seek to deny transport to patients requiring our service, would apologise to Lord Morrow and his constituent for any perceived lack of service provided by NIAS on this occasion.
“The Trust also notes Lord Morrow’s criticism of procedures for contacting the Trust and will deal directly with Lord Morrow to address this issue.”
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