A furious husband has slammed the 'ridiculous 32 hours' his wife was forced to endure while waiting for a bed at an A&E department. Kay Davies, from Resolven, was taken to accident and emergency at Morriston Hospital in Swansea by her husband Philip Martin on Bank Holiday Monday after she fell unwell and started vomiting.
In the last year, the 58-year-old health care support worker had a cancerous tumour removed from her neck and underwent six weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She also has an aneurysm to the brain, Wales Online reports.
Mr Martin, 59, has applauded the efforts of the hard working staff at the hospital but said something needs to be done to improve the waiting times as he claims one fellow patient in a wheelchair had been waiting there for three days. Philip waited with Kay for 11 hours before he had to leave to go to work and was shocked to discover that she was still waiting for a bed when he returned from his shift.
Swansea Bay University Health Board said there was an 'unprecedented demand' on the hospitals A&E department over the Easter bank holiday weekend which consequently had a 'considerable impact on waiting times'.
Mr Martin, a support worker at a children's home, said: "My wife had been unwell for nine days in bed with a temperature and didn't want to go to A&E, but she didn't improve and I took her in on Monday at 2pm. She didn't get a bed until Wednesday. It was 32 hours before she got a bed.
"We had absolutely no idea it would take that long. I only had £2 on me. There was another guy in a wheelchair awaiting leg treatment who said he had been there for three days.
"The treatment we had from the NHS staff was fantastic, but it was so rammed in A&E it was ridiculous. I stayed with Kay for 11 hours and then I had to go to work. I couldn't believe it when I came back and she was still there waiting for a bed.
"It was a terrible experience for her, it was a case of waiting for someone to go so she could have a lie down. I did speak to staff and said that I wanted to make a complaint.
"I said the treatment received by them was fantastic, but that I wanted to make a complaint about the waiting time. Everyone who was there felt it was ridiculous. There were nine ambulances waiting outside at one point.
"I don't know what the answer could be. The NHS is having millions thrown at it but it is still overwhelmed."
A spokeswoman for Swansea Bay University Health Board said: “The demand on Morriston Hospital’s emergency department was unprecedented over the long Easter bank holiday weekend. We saw a large number of very unwell patients and, as we will always prioritise those with the most serious and life-threatening illnesses and injuries, this unfortunately had a considerable impact on waiting times within the department.
"We would ask people to consider alternative ways of getting help when they are able to. The NHS Wales 111 website offers a symptom checker and advice on next steps. Community pharmacies also offer advice and medication for many common ailments and conditions. Mental health support is available by ringing 111 and choosing option 2.”
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to our daily newsletter here .
