"A+E coping under extreme pressure"

On Monday 6th November I had to attend RBH after falling and finding myself in acute pain at the base of my spine. I already suffer from trapped nerves in the base of my spine. I went Monday lunchtime expecting the A+E to be quieter..

I was mistaken.. There were many patients on trollies in corridors.. Including myself eventually. There seemed to be as many ambulance paramedics in A + E, waiting to hand over their patients, as there were A + E staff. A result of bed blocking I was informed. I noticed that some of the paramedics, to their credit, were trying to assist the A + E staff, rather than just standing around. I spent about 6 hours in total at RBH before I was discharged. During this time all the staff I encountered, from the lovely person dishing out tea and sandwiches to the consultant who signed me off, treated me with kindness, courtesy and dignity. I live in between Rochdale and Burnley, both those hospitals A + E departments have closed. This has no doubt increased the pressure on RBH's A+E dept.

This was an eye opening experience for me. If this is what it's like on a Monday afternoon.. What's it like on a Friday / Saturday night? And with winter coming, when people like me with COPD get chest infections? I shall be contacting my local MPs and urging them to visit A+E and see for themselves the pressure and the near impossible expectations that are put on NHS staff.