12 hours waiting for emergency hospital admission

[shad0wm00n]

I am utterly desperate and don’t know what I can do!

My Father has been poorly lately, losing weight and feeling generally unwell. He had a doctors appointment today and the doctors said his liver is failing and they suspect stomach cancer. She said he needs to be admitted to hospital for tests and fluids etc immediately.

The surgery called an ambulance and was advised there was a 4 hour wait! So told us to drive him there instead and they printed off an admissions letter and off we rushed.

That was 12 hours ago and my parents have been sat at the hospital ever since, as apparently there are no beds ok wards.

Dad has had an X-ray and bloods and he’s waiting for a CT scan and a few more tests but they’ve confirmed he has cancer and 2 additional and serious issues, all of which will require admission.

Dad is not on a drip and has had no food for 3 days, he H’s just been left in a waiting room.

He’s been told he will have to spend the next 24 hours sitting in A&E waiting for a trolley (he can’t even lie down at the moment and his legs are very swollen) and if he’s lucky, after that he may get a bed within 48 hours.

I can’t believe my dearly loved father is being treated like this and I don’t know how I can help. If he is still alive by the time he gets a bed it will be a miracle!

AIBU to say the NHS has already collapsed and that more people need to know just how bad it is.

if anyone knows anything I can do. Please let me know. Is this a PALs issue? Surely they’re failing in their duty of care?

It's heartbreaking that the NHS and social care have been destroyed to this level. My uncle is in a similar position at the moment.

In July this year, there were 29,000 people who waited longer than 12 hours for a decision to admit.

In July 2021 this was 2200
In July 2020 it was 270
In July 2019 it was 450
In July 2018 it was 150
In July 2018 it was 75
In July 2016 it was 115
In July 2015 it was 20
In July 2014 it was 6

Get angry

www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2022-23/

I am so so sorry. No it's not acceptable but I work at a v senior level in the NHS and it's the reality. I weep daily. No one should experience this. Reality - there is no social care, so one third of the beds in our hospital are taken by people who are now not acutely unwell but need social care. So the sick wait at the front door. It's awful and no one has an answer. Pals won't help find a bed as there are just not any. I hope he is moved by now but 24 hours waiting is now normal . Do not vote Tory and do not support Brexit - that's why all the care staff have gone. That and they get paid more in Tesco

I'm so sorry you're in this position, you must be stressed to bits.

The NHS has been crap for a very long time, my poor dad was in a similar situation to yours and I remember having to push together chairs in a ward relatives room so that he could lie down for hours in agony while he was waiting for a bed. He stayed in for a week, I remember him telling me that due to being in so much pain moving his upper body (referred cancer pain, which they knew) he couldn't physically open the sandwiches that they had given him and a man in a neighbouring bed offered to help. He was mortified, he was a proud man. Nurses had passed him/stood chatting at the nurses station and just left him to it. Still breaks my heart to this day.

This was under a labour government and I remember everyone I knew would put off going to A&E for anything because you knew you'd be waiting hours and hours so I think it hasn't been fit for purpose for a very long time.

I really hope your dad gets seen soon.

No advice, but we had an eighteen hour wait in the waiting room a couple of weeks ago. The complete lack of dignified care is just horrible.

I'm so sorry you're going through this.

People voted Tory again and again is what happened to it.

It’s terrible, healthcare is on it’s knees.

someone I know was first at the scene at a bad accident last week, two unconscious men with multiple broken limbs. It was two hours before an ambulance came! Two hours with unconscious people with significant injuries.

I’m so sorry your dad is unwell and is not getting the help he quite rightly deserves, and I’m also sorry for those on here who are working within our NHS it must be a daily struggle but i like many understand it’s not you and your doing your best. Thoughts are with you 🙏

I'm so sorry, op. This just isn't fair to your dad. Big hugs. I hope he's admitted soon and gets the care he needs.

@PupInAPram Came on to say the same. This is exactly what the Tories wanted to happen and it is working. They are trying to make it bad. To care so little about the people you govern is disgusting. Your father deserves better. The sooner we get rid of the Tories the sooner we can start genuinely saving our NHS. It will take a bit more than the PM clapping though.

So sorry op. This same scenario happened to my mum last year, although she went in ambulance (after hours of wait) and was alone due to covid. She was on a trolley in the corridor all night and repeatedly had to wet herself because no one came. Her legs were swollen too. I completely understand that shock feeling that your beloved parent is being treated so terribly. I hope he gets a bed on a ward soon. Really so sorry.

Yes I work in the nhs, we really do care but it's on its arse. Too many people using it when they don't need to and the whole system is just clogged up I'm sorry your dad is going through this op xx

Also work in the NHS.

Also planning my escape route.

It's broken.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for your dad.

Please contact PALs, as well as supporting you, it's documentation regarding the situation and support the datix (incident report) the hospital would raise regarding lack of beds, trollies etc.

Ask medical staff why your father hasn't been offered food, do they plan to a operation and he's Nil by Mouth - if thats the case can he have a fluids via IV.

If you haven't asked, find out if he's a on a cancer pathway for treatment (check cancer pathways for your area).

My mum at Easter was in A&E waiting room for a week, thankfully they found her bed. The care she received was still execellent and I felt for the staff having worked in acute hospital.

Please don't tell him to go home, the community are also overstretched and understaffed.

Take care

I am sorry about your dad. My mum, who suffered a terrible stroke a year ago, and died 6 months ago, also had some pretty inhumane treatment. Not, it has to be said by the emergency dept, but subsequently in so called 'rehab' at a district hospital. No food, no visitors and certainly no rehab because no staff. Left to rot basically. She deteriorated further there and came home in a state from which there was no recovery. I weep at the memory.

In your dad's position I'd advise someone take in bedding and make him comfy (more comfortable on the floor) and take pictures. People lying on the floor in our hospitals will be akin to showing news reports of war torn countries. Might just shame someone higher up (fat chance but worth a try).

That’s appalling.

I can well believe the food and drink situation as I experienced A&E three times recently with my teenage dc. We were not allowed to leave the department until all the relevant tests were completed, the vending machines were not working and this was overnight during the recent heatwave.

The sole doctor in A&E kept announcing he was on his own, the wait was getting longer and to go home if we felt we could.

I went home exhausted each time and I was completely well. I did think that if my elderly mother was admitted and had to sit and wait for hours with no treatment or monitoring like we did she would not have survived.

I really feel for you.

I am so sorry to hear of all the other long waits for serious conditions too, as pp said it really is a lack of dignified care. It’s just so upsetting.

Last night I was totally on my knees, but the support and kindness here really helped. Thank you all for your support. This time yesterday I had no idea how my day would be ending, it’s crazy how quickly even an change.

Dad finally got some fluids (he was only sipping water before this, so was massively dehydrated) and he was moved to CDU and on to a bed at 4:30am. So he’s now on a monitor and had fluids, this is a massive relief. He’s now asleep.

They have said they hope to get him on a a ward later today, either after his CT scan or before.

I am so sorry for those still working in the NHS, it must be exhausting and depressing seeing it run in to the ground.

Thank you all again for the support.

The way in which that will “help” is that someone who doesn’t have a family to advocate and make calls to PALS for them will unknowingly get bumped down a place in the bed wait queue in order for the trust to avoid a complaint.

It’s literally the only possible way to magic a bed for OP’s dad out of turn, in this scenario.

OP, it’s possible that some of those waiting for beds this morning will self discharge or improve or no longer require a bed for other reasons, or that the ED consultants will be asked to review some patients this morning and see if any of them can go home or are suitable to be seen in the ambulatory medicine service instead so that they don’t need admission.

I’m really sorry that your Dad is in this situation. The situation in the NHS is really very desperate. The tories are to blame, they’ve done it on purpose.

I’m definitely going to complain to PALs and will worry to my local councillor too.
I’m upset and angry, so won’t just let it go.

I truly hate the state the Tories have let the NHS end up in.

i mr is a terrible time to be ill, I remember when a 4 hour wait seemed like it was too long!

Oh my, my heart goes out to you all. How dreadful for your poor dad but I'm glad he's more settled and comfortable now.
Sending positive thoughts

@Nat6999
"It's not just because of covid, the Tories won't be happy until they have run the NHS in to the ground."

Shame on you for trying to score political points on the back of someone's misery.

There are many reason why the NHS is in trouble, but I am not going to start a political discussion when we have a poster worried sick about their loved one.

We need to start getting angry. The government will say that every country is suffering the same way due to staff shortages and it’s categorically not true.

Many who are already financially constrained are going private for routine stuff to avoid such a mess but there are no real private A&Es.

The NHS is broken. Let’s start a Mumsnet campaign where we all mail out GPs at once. We can’t just blame “the Tories” as that immediately makes it bipartisan.

No, shame on you for obfuscating. This IS a governmental issue, it IS a political issue and pretending otherwise helps no one. So pipe down.

Actually we can just blame the Tories If we want! What I meant was the rot started many years ago and has got worse because there is no government prepared to look at the 50 year view as it’s an election killer to admit it’s broken.

i agree it’s terrible for the staff who must just want to pack up and go to another country where they are paid more and the system is better managed.

This is the norm now. My partner had an accident, broke his hip. Lay in the road at night for 5 hours till an ambulance came. Wasn't operated in until 4 days later as they were 'busy' then developed pulmonary embolism because of being immobile for so long. On top of that there were a number of other failings due to poor or no nursing practices. NHS is severely lacking.

Yes it’s this unfortunately 👆
And yes actually do contact your MP, staff would actually support that. It’s not knocking them or the hospital. What we need is for our politicians to stop ignoring this problem, take their bloody fingers out of their ears and start putting much much more pressure in the Government.

It’s a bloody national disgrace that we have come to this.