West Tyrone Sinn Fein Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Patients also need additional protection from behaviour of heavily intoxicated people at Altnagelvin A&E- Mc Gill

Published: 26 February, 2010

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Claire Mc Gill is pressing for additional protections to be afforded to patients at Accident & Emergency Departments to combat the disruptive and abusive behaviour they often have to endure at the hands of heavily intoxicated patients.

The local MLA says that she has raised this specific issue at a briefing of the Assembly Health Committee, the new Regional Health Board and on an ongoing basis with the Western Trust and the Patient Client Council.

The local MLA, who is also a member of the Assembly Health Committee said,

"In the last few weeks alone I have been contacted by two mothers who related their ordeal while waiting to have their children treated at Altnagelvin A& E. In both cases they related how intimidating it was for them and their children to have to endure the disruptive and abusive behaviour of intoxicated patients. These are obviously not isolated incidents and are particularly the case at weekends.

"Medical staff and Altnagelvin and other A&E's have the unenviable task of having to try and mediate between trying to ensure that the most deserving patients are treated as quickly as practically possible while at the same time of having to deal with the behaviour and often aggressive demands of heavily intoxicated people.

"In recent times, the message has went out loud and clear that a zero tolerance policy is now going to be adopted in relation to physical attacks and/or verbal abuse against medical staff at A&E's. However, often overlooked in the debate about this issue is the traumatic ordeal that patients also often have to endure because of the antics of intoxicated people?

"In my discussions to date with the different health authorities there has been a recognition that this is an issue which needs addressing and that various potential measures to counteract this problem in our A&E's are being looked at.

"In an effort to push this issue further up the health agenda as well as other serous concerns local people have about the A&E at Altnagelvin such as the waiting times, I have secured agreement from the new Patient Client Council that its representatives would facilitate a public meeting in Strabane to listen to and take on board these local concerns. I hope to be in a position to announce details of this public meeting within the next fortnight and I will be encouraging anyone who has concerns about the A&E Altnagelvin or, for that matter, any other concerns about local health service provision to come along.