A Northumberland mother has described a "nightmare" journey and a "feeling of helplessness" after being unable to get medication for her sick daughter.
Rachel Curtis' five-year-old daughter Betsy fell ill with a virus in late November and continued to get worse to the point where her mother took her to the walk-in centre at Ashington's Wansbeck General Hospital on the night of Sunday December 4. Due to Rachel's oxygen saturation levels being low, staff recommended that Betsy was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle.
It was initially suggested Betsy travel by ambulance, but with an hour and a half wait for an emergency ambulance, Rachel chose to drive instead to the RVI, where Betsy was given an inhaler before being sent home. Rachel said: "There were signs up saying it was a four - six hour wait, there were kids everywhere and the staff looked broken.
