Cork senator says she spent 16 hours in CUH queue with three-week-old infant

Cork North West Sinn Féin senator Nicole Ryan has backed calls for an urgent increase to staffing levels at Cork University Hospital (CUH), recalling a visit which saw her and her three-week-old daughter waiting 16 hours to see a doctor.

Ms Ryan was responding to ongoing concerns regarding staffing levels at CUH, where management, consultants, nurses, and other frontline staff have raised concerns.

It follows hospital chief executive Jennifer Kearney writing to the minister for health, warning that CUH was unsafe for patients and staff.

Ms Ryan has said that the continued shortages and pressure on frontline services are putting staff and patients at risk and fully supports calls for increased staff. She said throughout her pregnancy, her obstetric appointments were rarely on time as services were under enormous pressure. “On one occasion, at 34 weeks pregnant, I waited approximately six hours in the hospital simply to have my blood pressure checked.”

Ms Ryan said the following the birth of her daughter, she attended paediatric A&E at CUH on four occasions. 

“On our very first visit, when she was just three weeks old, we waited approximately 16 hours before being seen by a doctor. 

"We were brand new parents with a three-week-old baby. By the end of that wait, I was in tears because I simply could not stay in the hospital any longer. I was exhausted, frightened, and overwhelmed.

“What was also abundantly clear throughout all of those experiences was that this was not the fault of the nurses, midwives, doctors or other frontline staff. They were professional, compassionate, and far too often, apologising for circumstances completely outside their control.”