A teenager recovering from cancer has been forced to wait more than 27 hours in a hospital hallway for a bed in another example of the crisis facing Victoria's health system.
Erika, the mother of William, 18, told ABC Radio Melbourne an attending nurse at Box Hill Hospital broke down in tears when she learned how long they had been forced to wait.
William had just finished six months of chemotherapy for Hodgkins lymphoma and arrived at the hospital seeking treatment for a separate neurological issue.
His mother said they arrived at midday on Tuesday and, even after being admitted at 9pm, were forced to wait for a bed overnight.
"We spent the night in the hallway in the hospital and were there until 3pm this afternoon," she said.
"A beautiful nurse came out and she was waiting to take Will around for an MRI.
"When she learned his [medical] history — that he had just finished six months of chemo for Hodgkins lymphoma and we'd been waiting for 27 hours — she just fell to the ground."
The mother was quick to praise the determined efforts of nurses and doctors at the hospital, acknowledging it was out of their control, but admitted leaving her son in the hallway had left her extremely anxious.
"Will was in hospital last week with an infection — but when his neutrophils [a type of white blood cell] are so low it's quite a concerning situation ... that he's in a corridor of an emergency department during COVID and when there are so many other viruses going around.
"I get worried about what he is going to catch."
She said she asked at least twice how long it would take for a bed to become available but did not want to come across as a "nagging mother" or somebody who was being too protective of her child.
"I was watching [the staff] last night and thought, 'Wow, they just need rollerskates on'," she said.
"They're all so beautiful. This isn't about the care provided by the nurses and doctors. The reaction of the nurse that day ... when you see a nurse being brought to tears, that is what got me."
Health system pressures
Eastern Health executive director of clinical operations Shannon Wight said she was unable to comment on the specific situation, but acknowledged the demands on Eastern Health hospitals as a result of "deferred care, influenza and COVID-19".
"While the health system is currently under a great deal of pressure, we constantly strive to deliver the best care for our community and our people are working tirelessly to provide exceptional care for all of our patients," Ms Wight said.
