‘My 89-year-old mum spent three days in a hospital lobby ready for a mattress’

An 89-year-old lady with dementia was pressured to sleep in a hospital lobby for 3 days in a “dehumanising” show of the NHS disaster.

Greta Woolley, a retired store employee from Rainham, was taken to A&E at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, Kent, on January 26 with a chest an infection, urine an infection and swollen left knee – signs that had beforehand been current when she had sepsis. But regardless of medical doctors deciding she wanted to be admitted, she was not given a mattress on a ward for 72 hours, as a substitute having to attend on a trolley in a hall.

Her daughter Jayne Woolley, 61, says the expertise was vastly distressing and indignifying. She stated: “I can’t ever remember it being this bad… It is just so dehumanising for everyone. A patient next to us was begging their son to come take them home as they found the experience so embarrassing.

“When mum got examined… she’s got a catheter fitted – she was in the corridor, so everyone was looking past, everyone could see. There’s no dignity, there’s no privacy and it’s the same for most families.”

Mrs Woolley, who has Alzheimer’s illness, was lastly admitted to a ward on January 29 and stays in hospital being handled for her infections, acute kidney failure and osteoarthritis in her knee.

Her daughter added: “Her A&E experience certainly hasn’t helped her. She wasn’t able to rest as much as she wanted due to the chaos and noise, disruption and cold. They should shut the doors – it can’t go on like this.

“You see it busy on a Saturday with sports activities accidents and drunk folks, however by no means like this. It actually is a disaster and the employees are working as onerous as they will, however there isn’t any respite.”

Sarah Vaux, the interim chief nursing officer for Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very sorry that Ms Woolley spent so lengthy in our Emergency Department. Our hospital could be very busy as we proceed to see a excessive variety of sufferers who want admitting for remedy.

“Unfortunately this implies some sufferers wait longer than we wish to be admitted to a ward. Our employees are working tirelessly to supply the absolute best take care of sufferers at this notably busy time.”