"Absolutely Shocking!"

Attended A and E on the 14th July by Ambulance with my 57 year old Mother who had a suspected stroke, she was completely unconscious and her pupils non-reactive. We were not taken to resuscitation area but straight into a cubicle. As soon as we arrived we were told she needed a CT scan but the scanner was down, maintenance were on the way. While we're waiting we'll run other tests. Blood, chest x-ray etc. A nurse took some blood and my family and I waited, and waited and waited. We were questioned and my mother examined by 3 different doctors, each with no further clue as to diagnosis, still waiting for CT. After three hours we were told a stroke nurse would come to see us shortly but that we had missed the three hour window for treatment to dissipate a blood clot should that be the diagnosis. The stroke nurse then arrived and said CT still isn't fixed so we'll arrange an MRI. We overheard the doctor tell the nurse outside the curtain an MRI was too expensive and CT won't be fixed until tomorrow so we'll transfer to York. While waiting for transport a radiographer came to ask us to wake my mother up for a chest x-ray, I explained she was unconscious she then spoke to a nurse and said never mind she doesn't need one now. Transport was arranged and we left exactly four and a half hours after arrival but not before her original doctor pulled me aside and said he didn't suspect she had a stroke, he felt it was a psychological break!! It was in fact a brain tumour that had caused a massive brain haemorrhage,which was treated at Leeds General Infirmary, causing her to be on life support for 6 days! Had she had an MRI or immediate CT this could have been treated quickly, as she was not it was missed for 5 days causing further bleeding.