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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Guardian staff and agencies

Elderly patient left unable to swallow after 52-hour A&E wait

Empty bed in hospital corridor
The latest performance data for the NHS in England shows that 49,592 people had to wait more than 12 hours in A&E departments in October from a decision to admit to actually being admitted, the third highest monthly figure since comparable records began in 2010. Photograph: Lynne Cameron/PA

An elderly man was left unable to swallow after waiting over two days in A&E without being given regular medication, and died four weeks later.

In a “shocking” case that has raised fresh concerns over the state of urgent NHS care, the 85-year-old was sent to a hospital emergency department after a routine appointment. Amid massive delays, his A&E wait went into a third day, with most of it spent on a bed in the corridor.

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