A Lisburn man with complex health issues had to wait over 100 hours on a bed in a corridor at the Ulster Hospital for a ward bed, as hospital pressures deepen.
Paul Gribben was diagnosed with a kidney infection on Thursday and told he needed to go to A&E.
On Friday, he was taken to the Ulster Hospital via ambulance, but endured a 10-hour wait before being admitted.
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At 3am on Saturday, he was transferred to the corridor of a ward, due to a lack of bed space and he was left on a bed there until Tuesday evening, when he was able to get a bed on a ward.
Paul's son Andrew explained that the 56-year-old has health complications which mean he has been living in nursing care.
He said since being admitted, Paul's kidney tubes have leaked several times, meaning his clothes are saturated with body fluids.
"He's probably been in the hospital about 30 to 40 times in the past 10 years," said Andrew.
"He has a problem healing so any surgery he gets, wounds don't knit together properly, it's not haemophilia, but he has trouble clotting and healing.
"He's picked up bad infections in the past when he's been in hospital so it's a real worry.
"He has a stoma in and kidney tubes and they obviously need dressed as they can leak, and if they don't get cleaned he can be prone to infection.
"The big worry is knowing when the hospitals were working well, how many times he picked up infections or had complications compared to now when he's effectively been sitting there since Friday and the system is under pressure."
Andrew said he understood the pressures that existed but that it was tough knowing his dad had gone through such a wait.
"I don't want to speak badly of the NHS but they just don't seem to be coping at the minute," he said.
"Just even simple things like needing to be cleaned and he had been in that bed since Saturday, it's just really bad."
Paul's wife Dawn also said that the waiting had had an adverse affect on his mood.
"He was finding it very difficult to cope being on the corridor, more or less being in a public space," she said.
"It was very cold where he was sitting as they have the air conditioning on as that's where they're working obviously.
"He just had an eye mask and ear plugs to try and get some sleep as the lights stay on, so it's no comparison really to a bed and a good night's sleep.
"He had no sort of proper bathroom facilities to use, it's just the open that anybody in the ward or a visitor would use.
"He has a lot of dressings and things and he needed to be able to do things in a clean environment - he said he couldn't really sit in the bathroom even to get a wash."
Dawn said she understood the pressures that hospitals were under but that it hadn't lessened the concern she felt for her husband.
"I couldn't get down to see him, I have someone who comes in to help me every day," she added.
"So I couldn't even get down to see him to give him a bit of moral support.
"He wasn't feeling good at all, I had to talk him into staying on Monday night because he wanted to leave."
"He needed the treatment, so we had to convince him to stay as he'd just be back to the bottom of the list if he had left.
"He was just finding it very difficult."
A spokesperson for the South Eastern Health Trust acknowledged the pressures that the Ulster Hospital was facing currently.
“The South Eastern Trust cannot comment on individual cases as patient confidentiality must be respected," they said.
"We would wish to offer the opportunity to meet with Mr Gribben, his daughter and other family members to discuss their concerns and any improvements that could be made to improve his hospital stay.
"Like all Trusts across Northern Ireland, the Ulster Hospital continues to experience significant pressures.
"More patients have been attending the Emergency Department with symptoms of Flu and Covid-19. This puts more pressure on our team during an already challenging winter period.
"As a result, there are significant numbers of patients in the Emergency Department, meaning that some patients wait longer in ambulances with a further wait for admission to a ward.
"Regretfully, due to the pressure, some patients are admitted to undesignated beds in wards (beds in corridors in wards).
"Doctors, Nurses and the wider team seek to provide the best possible care to patients in the Emergency Department and across our wards.
"Where patients and families raise concerns about the care provided, we will work together to improve their experience during their hospital stay."
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