Woman left Drogheda hospital unseen by doctor after 11 hours

A YOUNG Meath woman who was taken by ambulance from Navan to Drogheda after a traffic accident, spent nearly 12 hours waiting before she decided to go home without seeing a doctor.

An angry Cllr Tommy Reilly, who is a relative of the young woman, said the waiting time was ridiculous and closing the Emergency Department in Navan will only create an even bigger crisis.

"She was involved in an accident on Monday of last week at around 4pm and was taken by ambulance to Drogheda.

"She waited there until around 3am, when she was told that she probably wouldn't see a doctor until around 9am," said Cllr Reilly.

"She was distraught. She was very uncomfortable after the accident and from just sitting there for nearly 12 hours and she decided to come home to Navan."

Cllr Reilly said she then tried to get an appointment to see a GP which took days and when she finally saw her doctor she was advised to go to the Emergency Department in Navan.

"She had great treatment there. She had x-rays, scans and blood tests and was much happier when she left. It is a disgrace that she had to wait so long in Drogheda and even that she was brought to Drogheda. The ambulance crew were told to bring her to there, but she should have been taken to Navan."

"She was treated so well in Navan. It is dreadful to think the HSE want to close the ED in Our Lady's Hospital and send people off to hospitals with huge waiting times.

"The doctors in Drogheda have said themselves, they don't have the capacity there. It is terrible," he said.