"Very long wait in A & E"

I am disgusted and heartbroken that my frail elderly father, sent into the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh yesterday by the GP, was still lying on a trolley in A&E almost 24 hours later with no sign of being moved to a ward any time soon. When the phone is answered at all, the staff can only tell us there are no beds in the hospital and sound as if it is nothing out of the ordinary, leaving someone in this position for so long. It seems clear the whole system is failing at an organisational level, dangerously under-resourced and extremely poorly managed.

At the time the GP made the phone call to admit him, it must have been known that this hospital was beyond capacity. Why could he not have been sent somewhere else or given a later time slot to attend, even the next morning, since his condition is not immediately life threatening?

After 20 hours we offered to drive him to a different hospital to get the basic care and dignity that is lacking at RIE but they would not have it. Years ago frail elderly people admitted via the GP were streamed separately, bypassing busy and chaotic A&E departments which are not appropriate for this type of admission; it is a shame this is not the case here.

As well as the increased distress and suffering, patients subjected to long stays in A&E do not have the same access to food, drink, sleep, visitors, care continuity or their regular medications as they would on a ward. Large numbers share a toilet and none of them can shower, presenting basic hygiene issues.

This is truly shameful in a developed country.