"Referrals to hospital"

Twice in a matter of weeks I have taken a relative to Dr Grays a & e department on the advice of the GP. My relative is a cancer patient and suffers terrible pain and dehydration. Both times the GP has been contacted by the district nurse and the decision has been made that referral to the surgical team required. The GP has contacted the said team and acceptance by the surgical team sought. On arrival to a & e we have checked in and told to take a seat. After and hour on the first occasion I asked if we were waiting to been seen by the surgeons as 6 people attending the department had been taken through. I was told they knew we were waiting but were very busy. After two and half hours we were taken through to the department. And my relative given a pain killer before being taken to SAU. On this recent occasion we had to wait and hour and a half then taken into a cubical in the department before being transfers again to SAU some time later.

I feel very keen that this wait is some how addressed and saves another patient such a long wait, sitting on a hard seat in a lot of pain.

I very much appreicate that on both occasions the hospital appeared very very busy, the staff were doing their very best to see and treat everyone and their treatment, both in a & e and in SAU have always been to a very high standard. However is there not another way in which a patient can avoid such a long wait. If they were at home they would at least be in their own bed as comfortable as possible, rather than in a waiting room were I might add has rather loud music playing, while sore, nauseated and generally unwell.