"Terrible waiting time in A & E and discharge..."

My elderly mum attended A & E at 4am Saturday morning. Half the cublcles were empty but it still took 5 hours before we were seen by a Dr.

As of 8pm Saturday night she was still waiting on a hospital trolley.

I asked if at least she could have a bed in A & E while waiting for a ward vacancy.

That’s 16 hours on a hospital trolley getting back ache.

Was eventually moved to Chancellor Wing then to Glashow Wing ward 15 due to type two respiratory failure. She should really have been on the Respiritory ward.

So anyone I got a phone call Wednesday mid day while I was a work to say they wanted to send her home there and then.

I explained no one was at home, I was at work and had the door keys.

The person I spoke to was insistent she went home. I kept having to explain there was no way to gain entry to the house and I was at work! Unless the ambulance staff were now been trained in break in and entry!

It was eventually agreed to send mum home after 7pm but I did express concerns that she wasn’t sent home too late and really no later than 9pm, otherwise the discharge would have to take place the next day.

The person I spoke to assured me mum would be home between 7pm and 8pm.

Guess what, she arrived home at 10.20pm!

Not only that but she still had the hospital gown open at the back and those awful string underwear half way hanging down her legs.

It was a freezing cold night I had to put a coat on just to go outside to the ambulance. Yet the hold-all contained her coat, dressing gown, clean nighties and underwear that they had. It bothered to dress her in.

Due to mum’s late return home she was very exhausted and confused and had not eaten anything at tea time, as she was waiting to go home.

She came home in a far worse state than when she went to hospital and despite the staff saying her oxygen levels were back to normal, they were still lower than they should have been when I measured them.

At this rate she may well need to be re admitted again.