Seven hour trolley wait at Royal Victoria

Darren McKinstry, who normally cycles to work along the towpath, decided to travel to work via the Malone Road instead and was struck by a car at a pedestrian crossing.

The driver of the car called for an ambulance after Darren was flung into the air and hit a set of traffic lights.

“After ten minutes or so he was able to sit up so they said they wouldn’t send an ambulance because it mustn’t have been very serious,” said Chanel, Darren’s shocked wife. “However, they received so many calls from people who had witnessed the accident that they did eventually send an ambulance and the staff were amazing.

“They said they could not believe that he was still alive because his bike was in pieces. He was taken to the Royal Victoria at about 9.15am and we were very unhappy with the service.”

Darren and Chanel were shocked with the apparent disorganisation of the Belfast hospital and said they wouldn’t go back to the Royal again. “Darren was made to hop through A&E on one foot until he couldn’t do it anymore. He asked for crutches but was told they didn’t have any. He had one scan on his leg and then lay on a trolley for seven hours waiting for the results. The doctor then came back and apologised, saying she had forgotten about him. We were told the scan was inconclusive, to take painkillers and come back in a few weeks time.”

Darren was sent home and ten days later, in the early hours of the morning, he woke with tremors, a fever and was in excruciating pain. “I didn’t know what to do,” continued Chanel. “I called the out of hours at the Lagan Valley and the doctor was very helpful. He said it was probably an infection, advised what tablets to take and told us to wait until the A&E at Lagan Valley opened at 9am.

“We didn’t want to wait but we also didn’t want to go back to the Royal. At 9am Darren’s father Gordon took him to the Lagan Valley and he was so well treated.

“It was so well organised. I couldn’t believe the difference between it and the Royal. The staff all worked as a team and the doctor was really thorough and informative. We felt we were being taken care of.”

Chanel and Darren are now determined to help with the campaign to save 24 hour services at the Lagan Valley Hospital. “It really brought home to us the importance of 24 hour access at the A&E,” she added.

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