Family Reports 14-Hour Ambulance Wait and Hospital Corridor Stay for 93-Year-Old

The family of a 93-year-old grandmother states she endured a 14-hour wait for an ambulance, during which time she was “screaming and crying.” Iris Webster sustained a suspected hip injury at her residence in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. A health professional visiting her home initiated the ambulance call at 11:00 BST on 2 October. Her family further reported that upon her eventual transfer to the Royal Derby Hospital, she was placed in “a corridor” for 23 hours. Both the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) NHS Foundation Trust have issued direct apologies to Mrs. Webster’s family. Mrs. Webster’s relatives indicated they had been advised on 2 October that an ambulance would arrive within four hours and that she should not be moved. Nevertheless, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that an ambulance did not reach her bungalow until 01:00 on 3 October. Julia Mends, Mrs. Webster’s daughter, stated that once her mother was admitted to the hospital, she was situated in an emergency department “corridor” adjacent to a staff station. The hospital trust, however, asserted that Mrs. Webster received care within “clinical areas” during her time in A&E, and was provided with hot food, a sandwich, and several drinks. The family additionally reported that she was transported home by ambulance four days subsequent to her admission, despite their request for a call to arrange her collection. The LDRS also noted that medication and a toilet frame were dispatched via taxi later that evening. Ms. Mends commented: “The whole thing was just awful. It was an absolute disgrace. “My mother is distraught about the situation, and she doesn’t want to go into hospital ever again. She wants to die at home.”We only went into hospital because they did not know what was wrong with her, and we still don’t know.” Ms. Mends indicated that, moving forward, the family would only consent to pain management for their mother to remain at home. She further stated: “Nobody needs to suffer for 14 hours, crying and screaming. “If we had known it was going to be 14 hours, we would have taken the risk and taken her to hospital ourselves in my brother’s car.” Garry Marsh, the executive chief nurse for UHDB, issued a statement saying: “We are sorry to Mrs Webster and her family for their experience, which did not meet the high standards our patients should expect, and we have asked them to contact us directly so we can fully respond to their concerns.” He continued: “While patients, like Mrs Webster, are waiting in A&E, they are always cared for in clinical areas by our experienced teams who deliver care, respond to the patient’s clinical needs and support their wellbeing by making sure they have food, drink and toilet support.”We should, and always strive to involve families and carers in discussions about a loved one’s care, treatment and discharge plans, so we are very sorry to learn that this didn’t happen for Mrs Webster and her family as it should have on this occasion.” A trust spokesperson also noted an 8.4% increase in A&E attendance since September 2023. Andrew Magee, head of operations for Derbyshire EMAS, commented: “The NHS and ambulance service continues to operate under tremendous pressure.”We know that we’re unable to get to all patients as quickly as we would like to, and I am deeply sorry to hear about the prolonged wait which was experienced by this patient.” He further stated: “We take all concerns seriously at EMAS and have asked to speak to the patient’s family so we can fully investigate their experience with us and respond in full.”