Cancer Patient who Threatened Sit-in Dies

sligo | rights, freedoms and repression | news report

Wednesday May 21, 2008 11:18

by Kerry researcher

A woman who threatened a sit-in until she was given a hospital bed for a vital cancer operation died yesterday.

From The Irish Times 20/05/08

'A woman who threatened a sit-in until she was given a hospital bed for a vital cancer operation died yesterday.
Josie D'Arcy died at the age of 64 in Sligo General Hospital just seven weeks after first high-lighting her plight. She said at the time that she was feared a cancerous tumour in her right kidney diagnosed five weeks earlier would spread because of the delay in admitting her to hospital although she was a private patient.
Planned surgery to remove the kidnay was twice put back. She was eventually admitted to St. James' Hospital in Dublin after threatening "to lie on the floor" in order to get a bed.

When she finally had surgery doctors discovered complications that meant removal of the kidney was not an option. Instead, they carried out a different procedure to "immobilise" the tumour by closing off the blood supply to it.
Josie, a publican from East Port, Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, was assured the six-week delay between diagnosis and eventual surgery was not to blame for the failure to remove the kidney.
In her last interview just over a month ago she said: "The original idea was to remove the kidney. The cancer was stuck on to it like ivy, aggressive."
"They decided if they pulled it out it would break away into different parts of the body. So they closed me up and a few days later carried out the immobilisation procedure."
"I asked if the delay in getting me a hospital bed might have played any part. I was told No."
"But I don't know if it made a difference. I'd say if it was an aggressive tumour it did make a difference. Six weeks is a long time."

Ann McGowan, a longtime friend and cancer survivor assisted Josie also. She is a staunch campaigner for the retention of cancer services in the north west, including the shut-down of cancer services in Sligo General Hospital recently which attracted a 3000-people strong protest in Sligo.

How is this allowed in this day and age for a seriously ill woman to die because of the delay in receiving the basic right to have a hospital bed?
It's a disgrace.
See also: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/grandmother-who....html
and the Irish Times if you have a subscription.