Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin Cooley Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, County Dublin D12 N512

"I hope there is negative stars, I don’t know where exactly to start because what happened to us was horrible and we never imagined that we could face such discrimination in a children's hospital. We headed to the Crumlin Children's hospital with our child having a 40-degree temperature, short breath, and chesty cough. We had enough stress with our child sick for 4 days and we were seeking help in that hospital. When we went to the reception and after entering the required information, the lady there told me that only one parent should wait with the child according to the hospital policy. I tried to explain to her that my wife doesn’t know English and I have to wait with her and my child to translate for her and help her with anything she might need while staying in the hospital especially after they told me that they couldn’t provide an interpreter. While I was talking to one of the receptionists, I saw the other lady – receptionist - she was the manager of the ED as she introduced herself later), she jumped from her chair and was urged to call security for me. I was not doing anything, I was explaining to the receptionist how vulnerable my wife is and that we can’t leave her isolated and stressed because she doesn’t know English and this is for the advantage of the child to translate to my wife and help her to deliver the correct information. The aggressive strange behavior from the other lady to call security for me to take me out was strange. After that, I went outside as they required. Of course, my wife was more stressed. Then the Triage nurse called us, my wife showed that she needs me to translate, and the nurse called me to come in and translate. After the triage, they asked us to wait outside, when we went outside, I found that lady, the receptionist, following me and asking me to leave the hospital as if that was her work and nothing else, Although I saw that they allow other couples to sit with their children and if there is any exception to be given so I believe that vulnerable people and minority like my wife should be given that exception. Her behaviour was aggressive and weird, I asked her if this is because we don’t look Irish, because I see other couples waiting with children (check the cameras to see what I was talking about), after that she run to get security for me and told them I called her racist and asked them to take me out and threaten me to call the Garda. I went out and waited almost 5 hours in the cold, I am sick now and can’t go to work because of that. By the way, when I talked with the nurse's manager and the receptionist also, they told me to wait with the child and let the mother go home, I tried to explain to them that the mother knows all the information about the child that they will need about his health and medicines and everything he had during the day because I work. They told me only one to stay and I can text her to ask about anything, which was ridiculous, what if no network coverage or mobile charging problem, or any other issue, that’s ridiculous and unreliable. They were exposing my child's health to risk in what was supposed to be a children's hospital. This is the children's care service in one of our children's hospitals. Please could you investigate (Check the cameras) and send me the outcome of this complaint because we felt discriminated against, offended, frustrated, and disadvantaged and I will take this to the end to get our rights in our country for ourselves and my child. Now, I am very anxious what will happen if my child get sick again, will we be in the same situation !!! This shouldn’t happen to anyone. There should be something to rectify those employee from using their positions to threaten minorities and vulnerable people."

"2 stars because the nurse and doctor were fine. But one of the receptionists who is elderly with short blonde hair was so rude and unprofessional. At first I expressed my concern because the nurse suspected an illness the two doctors at another hospital said my son doesn't have. So I thought the triage wasn't done accurately. But she said the triage is accurate and she was like "THERE ARE OTHER CHILDREN WHO ARE MORE URGENT THAN YOUR CHILD". Mind you we only went in there because my out of hour GP referred us there . 2 hours later, I asked a different receptionist how many people are ahead of us now and wanted to make sure we haven't been called yet. While I was talking to the other receptionist, she came back and said "what's wrong with her?" This made me feel very uncomfortable and miserable, more so than the almost 6 hour wait itself . Someone like her shouldn't be working as a receptionist if she has to treat parents poorly like that. I wasn’t rude or aggressive in any way."

"It was a sudden thing that we had to visit here. My daughter was unwell, we went to see our GP, she referred us here. People warned us and we heard and read negative reviews about the hospital being it’s always full, dirty, you don’t get to see the doctor in time and there are 10-12 hours delay in getting the treatment needed. We arrived here, did our registration in 10 mins, we were called at the triage in 10 minutes. Immediately after the nurse checked my baby, we met the doctor and they started the treatment. It was the emergency department, people here are so helpful, friendly and ready to care. It’s been 2 days since we are here now and really like all that they are doing for us and my baby. I want to say a very big thank you to everyone in CHI for taking care of us and our family. Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year."

"I am absolutely gutted by experience from emergency injury department. This meant to be children hospita this should be taken into consideration. I'm alone with 2 kids, working, have nobody to stay with the other kid when one had accident. I spent 4.5 hours in waiting room, first doctor assuring us he will be with us shortly, nothing happen in those 4.5 hours and than he went home. I can't e press my frustration enough. This is children hospital and the emergency should be emergency."

"We had a very good experience with the private clinic inside the hospital premises. This review is for the entire hospital, to be honest I felt really bad about the surroundings, as this is a hospital I would expect it to be a bit more clean. You could see cigarette buds everywhere. The hospital is not maintained well. Some staff are not friendly in nature, and others are very good. Overall it is fine. Update: I must say that we had a bad experience with their A&E department. To insert what an A&E department is, they should recruit and add more man power. We waited 11 hours to meet the doctor for our baby and whenever we enquired only answer was that we have many patients. Yes, in hospitals there will be patients. The security officials only care about the rule “only one parent is allowed inside”, they don’t care if someone smoke near the entrance, people not wearing mask etc. And their debit card machine never worked, they will send a letter via post and then we will need to pay the 100€ fees online. Such an inefficient management."