"Outstanding care despite being overwhelmed"

We had to bring our dad - who is in his 80s - to Monklands Hospital recently. Our mum arrived with him, then another family member joined them in the waiting room of A&E to let mum go home.

After five and a half hours, both my partner and I took over waiting with dad and finally around two an a half hours later we saw a doctor. After an x-ray and waiting for results we finally left the hospital, having thankfully got a bed for dad. It took a total of 14 hrs. In that time there were 3 separate queues with 3 separate estimated times.

Up to 15 hrs waiting time for a GP referral, up to a 6-hr wait for minor injuries and up to 3 hrs wait if you present yourself at A&E. As you can imagine this caused great confusion when you've sat there for almost 9 hrs, seeing people arrive after you ring seen before you but everyone was very understanding. I feel this has to be addressed to make it fairer.

Due to the hospital being at breaking point, a consultant came out and apologised but they were so overwhelmed there was not 1 bed available in the hospital. Thankfully dad managed to get a bed eventually. I witnessed people on the floor in pain and people crying in pain. It was awful but the point I'm trying to put across is that no one in that waiting room complained. We all understood.

In particular a porter who said he was only a porter called Willie and Julie the staff nurse if the Medical Assessment Unit were absolutely lovely and so kind. I reminded Willie he wasn't just a porter but a very important part of the hospital. These are the people who are working night and day and their kindness and level of care is second to none.

A hospital is a frightening place if you're not used to it, but the care, reassurance and attention was second to none. Willie and Julie are just two of the nursing staff and hospital staff we met. The girls in A&E reception too. Nothing was a problem.

It's shocking but Monklands you handled it well. Thank you.