Dublin, November 1, 2025 — An elderly woman has refused to vacate a hospital where she has remained an in-patient for 719 days, despite being medically assessed as no longer requiring treatment, the High Court was told on Friday.
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The woman, whose identity is protected by a court order, continues to insist that she suffers from multiple untreated medical conditions. Her legal representatives have supported her claims, maintaining that the hospital has failed to provide adequate care and necessary investigations.
Hospital Seeks Court Intervention
The hospital, which applied for an anonymity order, is now seeking a court directive compelling the woman to leave within 24 hours and restraining her from returning except in a medical emergency.
Mr. Justice Brian Cregan granted permission for the hospital to serve the legal papers on the woman’s solicitors and adjourned the matter to next week for further hearing.
In an affidavit, the hospital’s regional clinical director stated that the woman is occupying a private room that is urgently needed for end-of-life patients and for those requiring infection control. The affidavit also noted that under the Health Acts, patients have no legal right to dictate the treatment they receive or to compel doctors to administer specific care.
Patient’s Legal Team Disputes Hospital’s Position
The woman’s solicitor countered that the Patient’s Charter affirms patients’ rights to be involved in decisions regarding their care, including the right to seek a second medical opinion.
The solicitor further stated that the woman is willing to leave once she receives what she deems to be “urgent and appropriate treatment” for various health issues, including cardiac problems. However, she has refused consent for a new physical assessment and has rejected the authority of the doctor now overseeing her discharge, claiming “he is not and never was her doctor.”
The hospital noted that the physician who initially recommended her discharge—after more than a year of hospitalization—has since left the facility.
Mounting Costs and Overcrowding Concerns
The hospital stressed that the woman’s prolonged stay has exacerbated ongoing overcrowding pressures, with her bed costing approximately €1,322 per day. The average patient stay in such a room, it said, is 4.9 days.
Despite multiple offers of rehabilitation, respite care, and home assistance, the woman has refused all alternatives. The clinical director also revealed that the patient routinely emails hospital staff at all hours, issuing repeated and sometimes hostile demands for treatment.
In one email to the supervising doctor, the woman reportedly wrote:
“You DOCTOR are gearing up for a DENIABLE DEATH and are betting on it.”
Legal Proceedings Underway
The hospital has stated that, after exhausting all internal and administrative options, it had no alternative but to seek judicial intervention. The court will decide next week whether the woman can lawfully be compelled to leave the hospital premises.
The case has reignited debate over patient rights, healthcare ethics, and the growing strain on hospital resources caused by long-term occupancy of acute-care beds.
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