A local paramedic claims people are dying on trolleys in Cavan General Hospital because of a combination of an overcrowded, under-staffed ED and an over-reliance on ambulance staff. The paramedic, who wishes to remain anonymous, told Northern Sound a patient who was recently brought by ambulance to the A & E in Cavan General died on a trolley after waiting two hours for medical attention. The ambulance employee said staff at the hospital were so under pressure and under-staffed that they had to rely on paramedics to remain with the patient who was deteriorating before their eyes over the the course of the two hours.
Despite protestations from paramedics that the patient needed urgent care, there was no beds available and hospital staff were not free to give the patient the necessary care. The patient subsequently died. The paramedic who is employed in the Northern Sound region, raised the case to highlight the ongoing strain put on ambulance staff which in turn is endangering local lives. The HSE said it cannot comment on individual cases but added that "By their very nature, Emergency Departments have critically ill people coming in approximately 1% of whom will need immediate resuscitation and approximately 20% of patients will need urgent review, and sadly people do deteriorate and die in Emergency Departments despite best efforts of staff."
