Thread by @projectCB

V.v. disappointing experience for vulnerable ex-army man...rejected by his local primary care centre ...told no vaccine available to him because he had not registered with any G.P. .. therefore no referral

https://twitter.com/HigginsDes/status/1390993987016744966

Born 1943...not given any phone number for any older persons services.. not given any phone number for any public health nurse...no number offered for HSElive etc...

@projectCB is not kin of this man...but informally asked one weekend to help... cannot get thru to HSElive...caution: option 1 on automated phone service sends caller around in circles for option 1 "English" only for automatic phone system to hangs-up on caller #HSELive

Both vulnerable man & I speak to 3 different HSElive staff to ask to speak with their supervisor...each time we are told they are not taking the details of those born in 1943...that their G.P.s have to refer them...we explain 3 times that same man is not registered with any G.P.

No supervisor calls us back...we call again another night before 7.45p.m. only to be told the same script along lines of "no G.P. no referral for vaccine"...

We explain "o.k. no G.P. for this vulnerable man" born 1943 what can HSE do to help...we urge HSElive staff to create a case...we are given case ID...we are told: " wait 3 wks"

@projectCB
Wait 3 weeks is not for appointment...3 weeks for "call-back"....
One week later someone from HSElive calls him back...

Not to schedule appointment for him but to double-check all his details we gave over the phone on 3 separate occasions..same PPS, same DOB, same EIRCODE
A week later I again received consent to call on his behalf..from same vulnerable man as he has no known kin in this country.

@Projectcb tells HSElive, on behalf of gent, that vulnerable man expresses wish not to be contacted by SMS (txt msg)...

#HSElive contact him mid-week after bank hol. To say next available appointment date is before end of month...he writes down time (mid morning apt)...he writes down date....
HSElive give him location...vulnerable man writes down "Glasnevin University hospital"...

Ex-army man does reconnaissance "tour" the following morning to find "Glasnevin University Hospital" (in the greater Glasnevin area) ..he takes 2 buses approx.journeyTime (door-to-door in one-direction?) .He crosses the Liffey to get to Glasnevin.. far away from his Eircode...

@projectCB hears from vulnerable man via phone...he had checked with Mater & Bon Secours... receptionists offer no help..no direction...no phone number to call...Vulnerable man born 1943 is lost in Glasnevin...told 3 hospitals in the area...he can only find 2...

...he calls me to tell me he cannot find vaccination centre...his feet are sore..he wants to get 2 buses home...he does not wish to pay for taxi (no means etc) his pride won't let me.
Vulnerable man won't let me pay...takes him approx 2 hours to get home...

@projectcb is given consent to call #HSElive (3rd week-in-a-row)... Only to find that #HSElive has his case ID his DOB & PPS & eircode but no record of any scheduled apt. For any location...

@projectCB

@projectcb in parallel to vulnerable man's odessy to find vaccination getting lost in greater Glasnevin looking for "university hospital"...I am calling #HSEDonnybrook at #Clonskeagh #VergemontHall...to no avail...

10 direct lines...10 individual answering machines with 10 out of date recorded "leave" MSGs...due to have returned to office months ago... according to same recorded "out-of-office" msgs...(not re-deployment msgs).

#Hse public health nurse responds a week later...not interested that ppl. Without G.P.s have fallen thru' the net...re lack of referral for vaccination...

#HSE nurse tells me that she believes everyone has a G.P.? #HSE nurse does not offer me #HSelive phone number ... vulnerable ex-army man in her designated district but she does not offer solution for how to refer him for G.P. or referral for vaccination?

#HSE-older-persons-services not much better...one returned call 2 weeks later indicating that G.P. should have referred vulnerable ex-army man for vaccination...around-in-circles..

I explain that vulnerable ex-army man was given directions for clonskeagh hospital 3 weeks before HSElive returned his call and he got on the wrong bus in the wrong direction...without asking the driver was he on the right bus for Clonskeagh hospital...?

I don't have access to private transport...I cannot help find the designated "Glasnevin University Hospital" no record of vulnerable ex-army man being referred to Glasnevin...HSE cannot find record where "hospital" should refer to mass vaccination centre at DCU (not DCUhospital)

@Unrollme @projectCB