The cousin of a 92-year-old woman who spent 30 hours waiting on a hospital corridor due to a lack of beds has slammed the government for bringing the NHS “to its knees”. Barry Kushner, 61, said it was “scary” to witness the terrible state of his local hospital after his relative - who was left “delirious” following a bad fall - spent over a day on a trolley.
And a shocking photo the dad-of-three snapped during their ordeal showed dozens of other patients faced a similar “chaotic” experiences at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. The picture reveals patients waiting to be seen by NHS staff in the busy A&E corridor due to what a trust spokesperson called "incredibly challenging circumstances"
Barry, a Labour councillor, said he couldn’t “fault" staff for the care they had offered but slammed the Conservative government for the “total breakdown” of the NHS. He said: “This is visual evidence of the fact that the hospital and the service is on its knees. Patients shouldn't routinely be treated in corridors.
“I remember 12 years ago, an ambulance would come in six minutes. The NHS service, the ambulance service and the adult social care service is on its knees. There’s a total breakdown, a systemic breakdown, of the functioning of the NHS as a result of the government’s policy of divestment. This is our safety net. If you are sick, basically, you are going to end up here, and it feels a bit scary. It’s not functioning in the way that it should.”
Barry, from Liverpool, said his cousin's terrible experience began last Thursday evening (December 1), when she picked up an infection after suffering a fall in her own home. He was alerted to the woman's plight by a personal alarm system for elderly residents. And after initially spending 20 minutes on hold to the 111 service, he then called for an ambulance at around 10.30 pm.
Shockingly, the emergency service didn’t reach her until the following morning, on Friday at 9.30 am, before taking her to the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Barry had hoped his cousin, who he didn't name, would receive a bed as soon as she arrived, but she then spent 30 hours in a corridor for one to become available She was finally offered a bed at around 4.30pm on Saturday and remains in hospital in a stable condition.
He said: “She was taken to the hospital and she was placed in a corridor on a trolley, and she was supported by ambulance staff. She was there for 30 hours. She was quite unwell and delirious. She was being sick for the first part of the time on the Friday. She was moved in the afternoon on Saturday into a cubical in the A&E ward, which was more comfortable. She was then moved to the acute medical unit and then moved again to another room because there was still no specific one for her.”
Barry said though his cousin's condition was improving, her horrendous ordeal was a direct result of Conservative “mismanagement” of the health service. And he worried that the 92-year-old’s condition may have been may worse due to the time she spent on the corridor.
He said: “I can’t fault the staff, and I can’t fault the hospital… But the way the health service is organised is totally chaotic. It’s not working. The government must be aware of it. If they are not making decisions to address that then they are willfully mismanaging the health service.
He added: “I don’t know if my cousin’s condition has been made worse because she was on a corridor for 30 hours. But I have a feeling it was. The facilities are in place around the bed. They are not around you when you are on a corridor. I am sure that puts people’s health and lives at risk.”
Dr Jim Gardner, Chief Medical Officer at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is widely recognised that Emergency Departments across the country are facing significant pressures. Despite these incredibly challenging circumstances, our staff are working extremely hard to care for patients as quickly as possible, and I thank them for their continued commitment and dedication.
“Work is ongoing to help alleviate pressures within our hospitals, particularly around patients who no longer require acute care. This includes utilising newly opened dedicated bed space at Broadgreen Hospital to support those who need ongoing assessment and intervention ahead of their discharge home. We are also continuing to work closely with our local partners in adult and social care to ensure patients are discharged safely and in timely manner into community and social care.”
