A gran who suffered a suspected heart attack was forced to wait 13 hours in a hospital A&E unit before being moved to a bed, her family has said.
The 59-year-old, from Sale, had felt poorly with chest pains and was driven to Wythenshawe Hospital by her daughter just after noon on Friday, according to her family.
She was triaged and had tests done but she was only moved to a bed at 1am, some 13 hours after she had arrived, during an extremely busy night at the hospital, her daughter Laura Hunter told the M.E.N.
READ MORE: Hospital boss issues public warning over 'unprecedented conditions' at A&E
"It was awful. There were so many sick people. It was sad to see the staff just overwhelmed and over-run. There was not a single seat spare in A&E. There was a man groaning and crying for help. People were just depressed, fed-up and cold and just at the end of the their tether. There was a 93-year-old there in a wheelchair with fluid on her lungs," said her daughter Laura Hunter, 35, a consumer care worker.
Last week, we reported how there were 600 patients waiting for ambulances across the north west amid a surge in 999 calls.
Laura said her mother has osteoarthritis, problems with her blood pressure and has a history of minor stokes over the last four years. She began feeling chest pains on Wednesday and when she also started feeling heaviness and tingling in her arms - all signs of a heart attack - she was driven to hospital, said Laura.
She arrived at Wythenshawe A&E at about noon and she was seen by a triage nurse. Within two hours, medics had done an ECG and blood tests and these were repeated after a further four hours as doctors found her heart rhythm was 'not a stable pattern', said Laura.
Laura said her mother was finally moved to a bed on an acute assessment ward at 1am. It meant she had spent 13 hours in A&E, sitting in the waiting area dressed in her pyjamas, slippers and dressing gown.
She said: "Our anger is absolutely not to do with the NHS. It's to do with the pressure they are under. It's not their fault. They're not on half the money they deserve to be on. They desperately need help."
During the wait, security were called to deal with a teenager who was shouting and 'tripping on LSD', said Laura. "At one point I asked the care co-ordinator what was going on and she said they 120 people to deal with," she said.
Her mother was discharged on Saturday afternoon. Laura said doctors confirmed although there had been no heart attack she had a blocked artery and would require a stent.
A spokesperson for MFT said: “We are seeing unprecedented demand for ambulance services, social care and also our emergency services. While our staff are working tirelessly to see patients as quickly as possible, we know that some patients are waiting longer than everyone would like.
“This is a nationally recognised challenge with our local government and Integrated Care Board partners, and will require a ‘systems solution’. We are working together in partnership with our Greater Manchester health and social care colleagues, to ensure patients receive the right care and support they need, as quickly and safely as possible during these challenging times.
“If you have a minor ailment, it may be more suitable for you to use other NHS services such as pharmacists, GPs, dentists, Walk-in services, telephoning NHS 111, or using NHS Choices online: www.nhs.uk.”
Nurses in Manchester have not joined a national strike although paramedics are due to walk out on December 21 and 28.
In a video message shared on Monday night, North West Ambulance Service medical director Chris Grant apologised for the 'delay in getting care' to the public as he pleaded for help. "We've called in all our operational and clinical resources to make sure we prioritise those who have the most life threatening conditions," he added.
"We need to keep our phone lines free. So please, only call us back if you no longer need our help or if your own condition has gotten significantly worse."
Health chiefs have urged hospitals to free up a maximum number of beds by safely discharging patients in advance of industrial action by ambulance crews.
Sir David Sloman, NHS England’s chief operating officer, warned of 'extensive disruption' during what would be 'a very challenging period'.
Ambulance crews in England are due to walk out for two days on December 21 and 28 in support of their pay claim.
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