Having first been admitted to the hospital in the mid-80s with little explanation of what was about to happen, rosary nightly, and a four-week stay, I have seen this hospital grow, expand, adjust and develop into a center that has retained a lot of its base qualities and a personal interaction. I totally agree with a lot of comments here negative and positive, but feel our health care system is stretched beyond what’s fair to patient and medical staff. For me, transitioning from one staff member to another should be handled better, and there should be more interactions via zoom for basic consultations, keeping in mind some diagnosis are more visually important to medical staff. Parking is and probably will remain a huge problem. Maybe a shuttle service from train station or bus station would work. But all in all, a great hospital doing its best. It is not always successful but it is trying.

Outstanding bunch in ward One D, they'll be remembered by me for a very long time.

Great hospital. Have attended recently in maternity, ED and physiotherapy. Really clean and well run. Staff are brilliant.

My stay in this hospital was so relaxing. Staff nurses, doctors, the ladies that bring your dinner, you can’t fault anything. Thank you so much.

Very poor A&E service with long wait times. Would rather not have to go there again.

Excellent care in Cherry ward, amazing nurses so kind. And not forgetting healthcare assistants and the ward clerk, who was a caring, kind lady.

Back for my regular scan and attend the vascular clinic. Earlier appointment was cancelled due to current pandemic. However I was consulted over the phone prior to the cancellation and was happy with the outcome. I arrived for my scan at the vascular laboratory a little early and was seen on time by a very pleasant young lady. I then checked in at outpatient administration. My appointment was for later in the day but they kindly said they would try and get me seen earlier as I had travelled from Donegal. My meeting with the consultant was good and he put me at my ease. He even enquired after my brother who had the same problem. All in all, everything was perfect.

Good.

Exceptional maternity care. From maternity ward to delivery ward to SCUBU.

My dog gets better treatment at the vet than I received at this hospital. I was treated like an inconvenience.

During the current pandemic we understand why there is no visiting allowed. However there does not appear to be a SOP (standard operating policy) for communication with families during the pandemic. In our case, the patient is an elderly man who does not use a phone or social media and his wife who is his main carer is unable to see or communicate with her partner of 50 yrs plus. Being told he is 'grand' is not good enough. Being told to make an appointment with a secretary of said consultant in order to discuss what actual tests or plan of care there is in place for your father is not good enough. We are not questioning the care of staff but communication is fragmented with the left not knowing what the right does. As a family with previous poor experience of discharge planning we are concerned that only after intervening on behalf of our mother, that she would be left in the dark for a prolonged period of time with no one from the hospital thinking they need to communicate with her. Lots of room for improvement.

Professor was very polite and seemed to be so interested in my health problems. Explained everything to me very clearly. Planned my treatment so well, and I am looking forward to my next visit.

My wife is a lifetime asthmatic. In August during the COVID-19 pandemic she was experiencing extreme breathlessness after little or no exertion. Her GP referred her to CUH, long story short, during three visits she had to stay in a cubicle for 7-8 hours at a time, no doctor or nurse could see that someone with breathing difficulty needs attention. As a last bid for help, and on the advice of GP, she was admitted via ambulance, but still had to sit in A&E for a few hours. The doctor in attendance on this occasion suggested seeing a pulmonary specialist, but still would not admit for further examination. We have medical insurance which we discovered includes a private hospital in the area, and upon getting a referral, she was seen within 10 mins of arrival, had IV and bloods taken within an hour and is now subject to a barrage of medication. The staff in CUH may be lovely, very professional, but they are under a lot of pressure, and the hospital has a huge catchment area, but questionable functional management. The HSE and the management of the hospital should be ashamed of themselves for providing substandard service and for not prioritising such a sick patient.

Care diabolical, spent weeks in a few wards, notes missing, not always given my medications. Some very nasty staff. Have moved hospitals but still terrified of this hospital.

I fractured my ankle in three places and had to go for surgery. I was very impressed with every step of the journey - the ambulance crew (who had to rescue me by boat), the emergency dept, the x-ray guys, the day ward the day of the operation, the anaesthetist who took special care of me due to a potential hereditary issue, the surgeons, the after care in the ward, the outpatients staff and particularly the ladies in the plaster room. A big thank you to all of the staff at Connolly Hospital.

I had a procedure recently. On my ward, the staff were very busy. Despite this they were extremely helpful and attentive. I found the whole team very efficient. I was taken promptly to theatre and was very well looked post-op.

Wonderful hospital and excellent hygiene.

I made a complaint a year ago and apart from a staff nurse ringing me and leaving a message on my phone to say she had called, I have had no follow up on my complaint! I feel so let down by this hospital and the staff in particular. It is so wrong that my complaint was not followed up. I don’t know how the people involved can sleep at night!

Through my own experiences, very impressed with staff and care at Mullingar Hospital.

I was sent to A&E by out-of-hours doctor. I arrived from work at 5.30am and didn't see the doctor until about 2pm. I had an x-ray and ECG and the doctor said he though it was a pulled muscle. Showed me the x-ray and I noticed we weren't looking at my x-ray but a different patient's. I was sent home with pain relief and rest prescribed but then got a call three days later saying that the my x-ray wasn't clear and only after speaking to my doctor I heard that it was to be repeated after a few weeks. I don't feel like there was enough staff on and that they had time to actually care for a patient and focus.

Had a planned operation back in July. Covid precautions were very good. Very little wait time for op. Doc and nurses were brilliant as usual. One sour point from an otherwise great stay - the healthcare assistant on the morning of my discharge was so unprofessional. I was ready to go home and the doc was just writing out my script,so he had asked me to wait on my bed for two minutes. The healthcare assistant literally ignored him and grabbed my bag and walked off towards the discharge lounge and ordered me to follow him. When I arrived in the door, the doctor caught up with me and handed me the script. I was then walked out of the ward to the lift and given my bag by this healthcare assistant. All of this happened literally in the space of two minutes. Absolute joke in regards to this person's behaviour. Created hassle for no reason at all. I never ever have any problem with the place. Top class in everything except for this one person.

Had to attend ED with a headache as I'm a previous stroke victim with two clots lodged in my head. While the night doctor was nice, the consultant the next morning was not understanding at all and basically said go home and relax.

The hospital is so dirty. The cleaner came to clean the toilets and sink in the room, but didn't use any disinfectant at all. She only used a tissue with water!!! It was disgusting. Some of the midwives were so unclean. In the labour ward, I found some of the midwives very aggressive and not kind at all. I would never recommend this hospital.

I was well looked after, but after my x-ray I was left in the review clinic after everyone else was gone for over an hour. I did a loud cough only to hear 'oh is she still here', then I was seen quickly.

I stayed just one night however the care was exceptional, the room and bathroom very clean and the staff quick to respond to my calls for painkillers etc. The lovely night nurse who checked up on me every hour or so was apologetic for the need to wake me up and check for bleeding. The gentleman who brought me water and tea was also extremely nice and with the choice of food and excellent care I honestly wouldn’t mind staying longer. This level of care should be a standard. Didn’t wait too long to be brought up and checked before surgery either. In another (public) hospital I have spent once 12 hours over night in pain with a bladder/kidney infection and horrible pain siting on a hard plastic chair until a doctor seen me for five minutes and administered antibiotics. If I were to compare those experiences, the Beacon Hospital wins every time.

My family got told on Thursday by a doctor over the phone that, because of the state that my grandmother was in, we would be allowed up to visit anytime, one every 15 minutes. Saturday my Auntie visited, no problem, Sunday, Dad went up only to be told by a nurse that he wasn't allowed and that no visitors were allowed. When he mentioned what the doctor had told him, he was told that the doctor was wrong. Today I went up to see if I could visit her and when I got there I was shocked by the lack of organisation at the door. Crowds of people had gathered around the front entrance, some with masks and gloves, others none. The same went for staff inside the hospital. I also saw no one using the hand sanitiser. Cleared all the paper work and got the okay from my temperature check by security. Was told I could go up. When I got to the ward, a nurse wearing only a mask and no gloves asked me was I okay for everything and I replied that I was. She must have been watching me, because the second room I looked in on for my grandmother, I had only put my foot in the door when I heard: 'excuse me!'. I turned around and the nurse was right behind me. She asked was I visiting anyone and I replied that I was. Her condescending tone quickly switched to an over-assertive one. 'Well you can't visit anyone today!'. 'It's only Wednesdays and Sundays!'. When I tried to explain what the doctor had told my family, she quickly cut across me telling me that she didn't care what the doctor said and that the doctor in question does not work today or tomorrow anyway. I told her that the communication issues within the hospital were not my problem, nor my family's. She tried to cut across me again to which I had to assert myself and tell her 'no'. I walked away from her, and she followed right behind me bellowing 'EXCUSE ME!' X3. To this I quickly turned around and told her I didn't care. To which she bellowed 'OKAY. I'LL CALL SECURITY THEN!'. I sat next to my grandmother for about 3 minutes when the same security man, who gave the okay for me to visit the ward, came up to us stating politely at first that I had to leave. When I told him he had just given me the okay, he quickly cut-across me and said 'that was a mistake'. I told him it was not my problem, to which he then asked me to leave. I could tell my Nana was feeling a little uncomfortable, as was I. So I said my goodbyes and walked out. The security man walking out right behind me. The nurse in question standing at the desk outside, leaning on it giving me a dirty look. This hostility was not needed here today by staff, nor did they need to escort me out of the ward area. Some nursing staff didn't even have masks, let alone gloves. I noticed a man in surgical wear walking in front of me on my way out, and he never used the hand sanitizer while leaving the ward area. I fear for my grandmother's health now in that hospital. Nana's pillows had pen stains on it and a tanned stain. My nan's hair was messy, and she had crumbs all down her front gown. When I came in she looked very lonely just sitting there looking out the window. Surely considering staff have time to pick fights, they could surely spend a bit of time talking to the elderly, making them feel less lonely, and looking less dishevelled.

I was in SVPH at the beginning of July for 2 weeks. I was in a room on Hazel Ward. The care and treatment I received was second to none. Everyone I came in contact with was extremely caring and nothing was too much for them to do to make my stay as comfortable as possible. I mention in particular Clare, Anne, Lisa, Melody, Dara, Emma Elaine and Tracey. My consultant was superb. A true caring and excellent surgeon.

I found some of the catering staff ignorant and rude. I had to fast three different days for procedures and on two occasions, I asked for tea and toast and the staff member said it was 'ridiculous' and it was only just past breakfast (11am). They didn't give me milk for my tea or a knife or a spoon. I felt like I was annoying them by asking them to do their job. I obviously couldn't walk or leave my bed so it was humiliating being treated so badly and being so sick.

From the tea lady to all the nurses and care assistants, thank you .I better not forget the porter and all the nurses on Cherry ward.

Very bad experience. Had x-ray and MRI in March, because of a fracture. Still did not get any result of the examinations, and I have asked several times. Of course there were no difficulties at all to take my money (private patient) - 130 for the x-ray and 700 for the MRI. Very disappointed. Will never go back there and do not recommend the clinic.