"Unacceptable A&E department"

My mum attended A&E at Ulster hospital with my sister who has special needs in relation to care my sister needed. My sister was triaged shortly after arrival and again after a couple of hours at which point my mum was told that my sister was next on the list to be seen and wouldn’t be long.

After 8 hours my mum enquired with a Doctor on shift how long they would be waiting only to be told ‘you’ve only been waiting 8 hours, others have waiting 11 hours so they will all be seen before you as it goes on waiting time not need’. This is obviously not correct as everyone is triaged and care provided on an urgency basis, which we totally understand. But there was no allowance for the fact that my sister doesn’t understand and it is very difficult for my mum to have to manage her and for her to have to sit and wait all night.

They were seen in the morning after shift handover and felt that the staff on this new shift were much more productive and were very happy with the care the final doctor provided. We are not complaining at the need to wait as we fully understand that a&e waiting times are horrendous but to be spoken to with the attitude that she received and to be told it not based on need but waiting times & no regard for special needs is disgusting.