The extensive delays being experienced by patients attending the Emergency Dept at Mayo University Hospital at present, is not acceptable, according to a Castlebar councillor.

Fine Gael councillor Cyril Burke raised his concerns over the situation at the recent monthly meeting of Castlebar Municipal District.

He began by pointing out that HSE issues were not directly related to Municipal District meetings, but he said he had to highlight the concerns and experiences that people had highlighted to him over recent days. He described elderly patients presenting at the ED of the hospital in the afternoon and not being discharged until the early hours of the morning.

In addition he says sick/ elderly people must wait on arrival in the ED in a marque / tent structure for a period of time, before entering the reception area. He described the area as cold, adding to the stress of sick patients.

He explained that one elderly man told him last week that he had  left the hospital without being treated at the ED because he got so frustrated with the waiting time and conditions.

Cllr Burke has asked councillors on the HSE Forum to again raise concerns about the Ed dept  - the level of staffing and the long promised plan to erect a new , extended ED unit at Mayo University Hospital.