Veteran’s 10-hour A&E trolley agony
risk. With rising demand and dedicated staff already working exceptionally hard, the last thing our NHS can afford is Labour’s plans for a four-day week and uncontrolled and unlimited immigration, which would cripple our health service – leaving it understaffed and underfunded.
“Our country cannot afford the cost and chaos of Jeremy Corbyn. Only Boris Johnson and a majority Conservative government will get Brexit done and focus on improving our NHS.”
Figures revealed that the percentage of patients seen within four hours in A&E fell to 83.6 per cent in October, down from 89.1 per cent a year ago.
The proportion waiting over 18 weeks for planned operations in September was the highest in 11 years.
Just 84.8 per cent started treatment within 18 weeks against a target 92 per cent.
However, Mr Hancock said the number of operations had
A 99-YEAR-OLD veteran was left lying in agony on a hospital trolley for 10 hours as he waited to see a doctor.
Brian Fish, who is thought to be one of the last surviving soldiers who took part in the Burma campaign, was “crying out in pain” after being admitted to casualty with gall bladder problems.
Daughter Hilary Casement, who was with her dad at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, said the experience had been “traumatic”.
“How sad that having fought for the freedom of this country as a captain in the Royal Engineers, he has been forced to
increased by seven per in the past 12 months.
He told Radio 4’sTheWorld At One: “In many ways the NHS is performing better than it ever has. The challenge is that demand is increasing as well.”
But Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, warned emergency NHS care is “imploding”.
He said: “These figures are truly worrying as we haven’t
cent experience an overcrowded and underfunded system in his twilight years,” she said. “He lay for hours crying out in pain on a hard trolley.”
Mr Fish, who lives at a care home in Harbledown, lost many friends from his platoon in Burma as they fought the Japanese during the Second World War.
He was eventually transferred to a bed and seen by medics. The family have since received an apology from hospital bosses for the “distress” caused by the wait when the department was “extremely busy”.
even reached the ‘traditional’ winter period yet.”
Nuffield Trust chief economist Professor John Appleby added: “The number of people waiting on trolleys in corridors because no beds are available has already hit 80,000 – something we have only seen before in the very coldest part of the year.
“As the election promises roll in, we should be under no illusion about the money,
staff and time it will take to turn this situation around.”
Professor Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: “Patients have a right to timely treatment.
“They should not be stuck in pain or discomfort, struggling to live independently or get to work, waiting many months for a vital operation.”
An NHS spokesman said: “These figures show that while NHS staff are looking after a markedly higher number of older and sicker patients, a higher number of patients are being seen quickly than a year ago.
“While hospitals will be opening more beds over the coming weeks, the public also have a role to play going into winter by getting their flu jab, and by using the NHS 111 phone or online service for non-emergencies.”