"lack of doctors in A &E over the weekend"

Partner aged 82 with dementia, cerebellar atrophy, stage 2 diabetes and was in respite bought to hospital from care home at around 2pm - I arrived at 2.15pm and by 7.45pm he had not seen an A & E doctor.

I had to go home to tend to our two dogs.

Phoned by care home at 10.15pm that he was being returned to them after diagnosed with a mild chest infection and given antibiotics.

He had been admitted because the care home concerned that he was unresponsive that morning.

When I arrived he was hardly awake but when I started talking to him, he became more awake and responsive and more like himself.

After 5 hours of waiting in A & E in a cubicle, he become very agitated - wanting to get up and leave, taking his shoes and socks off.

He was slipping down the bed and was very uncomfortable and had no pillow because I was told that they all went missing and they couldn't provide any anymore ! Bad management eh ! He had had no medication at all that day, he wasn't offered a drink of even water ( I bought a bottle with me) nor any food - he is a diabetic.

No one accepted the fact that he had dementia and was becoming very agitated - they just said there was a 7hour waiting list and there was nothing they could do.

Well there is something I can do and that is complain that you have to employ or rota more doctors etc. over a weekend. It is not fair for your staff to be so layed back about this situation when dealing with genuine patients and not drunks or druggies etc.

This is the UK not a third world country.

Lets have some respect especially for our elderly NOW.