An investigation has been called relating to the circumstances around the death of a man who suffered a cardiac arrest in an ambulance after bypassing the closed A&E unit at Ennis General Hospital early yesterday, according to the Irish Times newspaper.Dan McDonnell (59), Kilkee, Co Clare, a father of three, suffered a cardiac arrest in an ambulance minutes away from the AE at Limerick Regional Hospital. Mr McDonnell reached the A&E at 6.10am and was declared dead at 6.32am. Yesterday, his wife, Marie, said his life “might have been saved if the A&E unit at Ennis was open at the time”. Ms McDonnell paid tribute to the emergency personnel and said that her husband, a retired supervisor with Clare County Council, had a heart condition.
Clare mayor Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) said yesterday that Mr McDonnell was “the first victim of the closure of 24-hour A&E services at Ennis General”. Ms Taylor Quinn called on the HSE “to investigate the full circumstances around Mr McDonnell’s death and the impact the A&E closure specifically had on this case”.
Earlier this month the HSE ended the 24-hour A&E at Ennis and Nenagh general hospitals. The units are now closed from 8pm- 8am each day with services centralised at Limerick Regional Hospital. The closure at Ennis forced the emergency services to transfer Mr McDonnell the 59 miles to Limerick from Kilkee instead of the 34 miles to Ennis General.
