Patient Waited 24 Hours in Hospital Corridor with Catheter Issues
A woman expressed shock after her 96-year-old mother spent a full day in the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department at Tameside General Hospital before being admitted. Jane Parkin's mother, Betty, was kept in a corridor so narrow that on two separate occasions, passing trolleys knocked her catheter off, causing it to fall to the floor. The second incident resulted in the catheter breaking and its contents spilling onto the floor in October.
"The nurses were really busy, so I mopped it up and tried to put (the catheter) back on the bed... I was just appalled," Jane said.
The hospital trust issued an apology to the family and noted that the emergency department was experiencing high pressure at the time.
BBC Investigation Highlights Extended Hospital Waits
This case comes amid a BBC investigation revealing that over 52,000 patients in the region waited at least 24 hours before admission to hospitals last year, with 6,893 patients waiting more than two days.
Betty was brought to Tameside General by ambulance after sustaining a fall at her home in Glossop, Derbyshire, which caused a leg injury. Following initial scans and tests that identified a chest infection, she was placed on a trolley in the corridor to await a hospital bed.
"The corridor was very noisy," Jane described. "It was bright, there were constantly people being brought in and left, there was banging and shouting."
The family took turns staying with Betty, concerned she would be distressed if left alone in such an environment.
Jane also observed another patient, a young man, on a nearby trolley.
"He'd obviously been in some kind of accident," Jane said. "He was bleeding, his head was a mess. But the trolleys were banging into his trolley. It was just ridiculous."
Despite the circumstances, the family commended the medical staff for treating Betty with dignity, kindness, and respect.
"The staff were lovely, they were very calm. They were trying to calm the patients who were distressed, but they were obviously very overworked and quite tired. I can't fault the staff - it's the system," Jane added.
Betty herself recalled the experience as "dreadful" when asked by her daughter.
Jane expressed feelings of anger and frustration over the situation.
"We know that the system is broken," she said. "It's frustrating because you can't do anything about it and yet you know it's happening to people all over the country. People should not have to be put into corridors."
Hospital Trust Responds to Concerns
Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care Foundation Trust acknowledged the emergency department was under significant pressure due to rising demand.
In an official statement, the trust said:
"While our staff work very hard to see and treat patients in a safe and timely manner, this means that, on occasion, some patients unfortunately wait longer than we would like for a bed to become available. In these circumstances, we ensure that we have the correct amount of both nursing and medical staff to deliver the best possible, personalised care throughout.
We are working hard to tackle long waits and reduce the use of corridor care. A new national plan is being developed and we will ensure this is implemented within the hospital.
We are also working closely with local health and social care partners to help prevent avoidable hospital admissions and help get people home sooner, to free up more beds.
We recognise the distress that long waits can cause and apologise for Betty's poor experience.
The trust is engaging directly with Betty and her family to understand and address their concerns fully."
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