Heart attack patient’s 20-hour wait for hospital bed
Cllr thanks for messages of support as her husband, a popular police officer, is on the mend
APOLICE officer who suffered a heart attack spent 20 hours on a trolley waiting for a hospital bed.
PC Mike Smith spent all night at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor on the “small and uncomfortable” trolley after he was taken ill while on duty at Llandudno police station.
His wife, Conwy County councillor Julie Fallon, said that when he was admitted last Wednesday there was not one bed available “in the whole hospital”.
As a result she has made an official complaint to the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
The health board has acknowledged that the Bangor hospital has been “particularly busy over the last few weeks”.
Cllr Fallon said: “Mike had the heart attack whilst he was on duty. It was scary.
“He spent all night on a trolley after having a heart attack. He’s six foot three, and the trolleys are small and uncomfortable. There was not a bed in the whole hospital.
“It was actually 20 hours from when he arrived (before he got a bed). ”
Cllr Fallon praised the treatment her husband had received from the “fantastic” hospital staff but was appalled at the wait for a bed.
“I had to make an official complaint as he got to A&E on Wednesday lunchtime and was still waiting for a bed on a ward (at) Thursday lunchtime.”
She said the heart attack which had come as a “total shock” to the 41-year-old dadof-three who is a coach of Llandudno FC’s under-11 team.
“A blood clot caused the heart attack – it was not his lifestyle – and his arteries are clear.
“He will be on medication for life but it’s a small price to pay.”
PC Smith was discharged on Tuesday and is making a recovery.
A spokeswoman for the health board said: “We are unable to comment on the treatment and care of individual patients.
“We have received a concern from Councillor Fallon which is currently being investigated. We will respond directly to Councillor Fallon and her husband once the investigation is complete.
“We would like to apologise to any patient who has experienced long waits at our Emergency Departments over recent weeks. Our hospitals are continuing to face high demands at their Emergency Departments and Ysbyty Gwynedd has been particularly busy over the last few weeks.
“Emergency pressures do fluctuate during the day, and from day to day, with periods of high demand causing difficulties in ensuring that patients can move through the hospital system in the normal way. However patient safety is our top priority, and all patients are kept safe whilst waiting to be seen. Patients are assessed on arrival and those with the most urgent clinical needs are treated as a priority.”
Cllr Fallon also thanked the public for messages of support for her husband, a director of Llandudno FC, from friends and family “all over the world”.
“It’s just been wonderful. It’s really made a massive difference to his recovery and it’s made him feel loved.”
She added: “It seems that every football club has posted really loving comments.”