Sign of the times: Waits of over 40 hours for A&E bed
PATIENTS arriving at an acci- dent and emergency unit were warned of ‘40-hour plus’ waits for a bed, it emerged yesterday.
The delays at the Royal Bolton Hospital were described as ‘beyond ridiculous’ by campaigners.
A sign at the A&E unit’s entrance said: ‘There is currently a 40+ hour [wait] for a medical bed. There are six beds only left throughout the entire hospital.
‘We have no beds/cubicles in A&E due to no movement. If you are waiting for a ward, you will be in our waiting room for numerous hours.’
Pensioners’ groups are concerned a shortage of care workers means elderly and vulnerable patients cannot be discharged from their hospital beds. In addition more patients are attending A&E because they are unable to see their doctor.
Dennis Reed, of campaign group Silver Voices, said: ‘This is beyond ridiculous. It’s just not acceptable
‘Some of it is down to people’s inability to access their GP but the main cause… is [that] so many beds in hospitals are filled with older people who can’t go home because care is unavailable.’
Rae Wheatcroft, of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘We continue to do everything we can to get people home safely, get those who need care into a suitable bed as soon as possible, and minimise the time for those waiting for treatment.’