Two seizures during nine-hour hospital bed wait
A SICK pensioner suffered a seizure while waiting 90 minutes for an ambulance — and then had another while stuck in the vehicle outside Morriston Hospital.
Kay Wilkins was then admitted to A&E but faced a six-hour wait to get into a ward.
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Sid Wilkins
Her husband Sid, a former RAF serviceman, described chaotic scenes at the hospital. He praised ambulance and hospital staff for their efforts but felt managers must make better contingency plans.
Health chiefs have apologised to the couple and said Morriston Hospital was "bearing the brunt" of knock-on effects due to a winter vomiting bug outbreak which has resulted in several ward closures.
But Mr Wilkins said: "Now I can see the inside story — how these staff are trying to cope. I am not a politician, but there must be something we can do."
His wife's medical drama began at 2.15pm on Monday when she suffered a seizure. Mr Wilkins dialled 999. "She went rigid, and was completely out of it," said the 72-year-old.
He put her in the recovery position and cleared her airways before a medic arrived 20 minutes later. Mrs Wilkins suffered a second seizure as an ambulance drove to their home in Three Ships Court, Mumbles, arriving at around 3.45pm.
"The fit only lasts 20 to 30 seconds, but it's the equivalent of running a half-marathon," said Mr Wilkins.
The ambulance arrived at Morriston at 4.25pm but was stuck behind four others, with patients in them. "My wife was in considerable discomfort due to severe back pain with the seizures, and after an hour waiting in the ambulance she went into a seizure again," he said.
She was then admitted to A&E, at 5.30pm. Mr Wilkins said it was packed, and that he saw four patients on trolleys in the corridor.
"It was chaos inside. The staff were doing their best. They were absolutely whacked out."
He added: "I went to man in the next cubicle. He had called out 'nurse' three or four times."
Mr Wilkins said the man handed him a bottle of urine.
He said his wife was seen to and X-rayed at 8.45pm. At 11.55pm she was admitted to a ward which later closed due to the norovirus outbreak. She was discharged on Tuesday afternoon.
A spokeswoman for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board apologised to all patients who had suffered delays in Morriston A&E.
She said norovirus was currently "a major problem". Five wards are closed at Morriston and one at Singleton Hospital. Some of these wards have empty beds which cannot be used, with a knock-on effect.
"On Monday there were also a high number of patients needing to be admitted to Morriston," she said. "We did experience ambulance delays, and every effort was made to minimise these. All ambulance patients were 'triaged' on arrival and treated in clinical priority."
She added: "We have a formal winter pressures plan."
richard.youle@swwmedia.co.uk
11 Comments
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by apharold
Thursday, February 23 2012, 8:48PM
“williamwaun---whereas i admit to spreading rumours about NPT you have toadmit also that the services atNPT could be better--eg--no AE, no-consultants available on W?E,s the general running down of services, i think thelong term intention is to run it down and then if cer***stances avail themselves sell it off to Bupa or some other private interest.”
by williamwaun
Thursday, February 23 2012, 5:49PM
“apharold
Don't make up rumours about NeathPortTalbot Hospital is closing. It's not closing, people like you that start the rumours.”
by homeboy123
Thursday, February 23 2012, 5:28PM
“I feel for the family and more so for the Gentleman. Even though this was distressing, just think if we had no NHS and only private insurance then this would have been even worse”
by apharold
Thursday, February 23 2012, 4:40PM
“all recorded messages in these colums or printed in the paper are mainly critical of services received i am sure that most patients of our hospitals have received evcellent treatment and curteous handling by both nurses and doctors. yes in the large hospitals like morriston or singleton when they get an infection like the present which causes several wards to close are bound to cause a backlog. this is why i am against closure of hospitals like neathporttalbot, thers no A&E and on W/Ends no consultant on hand to cover all these events which are bound to happen in this day and age.”
by huwwuh
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:55PM
“My uncle went into hospital on Monday for an operation. He'd paid privately and was kept waiting 6 hours before being taken down. The anaesthetist made a mess while searching for a vein and all in all caused my uncle considerable stress.
Things go wrong, things don't always go according to plan and more often than not we have to wait, queue and be patient. Anyone who is past 50 and hasn't learnt this lesson hasn't learnt anything.”
by Sandson
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:42PM
“Clarysage50 - anyone who thinks that"off-the-shelf" emergency plans are viable in a world of shrinking resources is sadly out of touch.”
by siarad2
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:40PM
“With hospitals being closed on 'big-is-better' syndrome there are bound to be problems when a hospital infection arises, pure shortsightedness”
by clarysage50
Thursday, February 23 2012, 12:45PM
“Siloh, this situation highlights just how hit or miss hospital care can be - your relative obviously had a better experience than Mr Wilkin's wife... EVERYONE should experience good, prompt care as standard. It should not depend on whether a hospital is having a 'bad' day or not..... it is down to the hospital to ensure that emergency plans are in place so that all patients receive excellent care and attention and are NOT having to wait outside in ambulances.”
by Siloh
Thursday, February 23 2012, 11:32AM
“A relative was admitted as an emergency to cardiac care unit at Morriston last week. Examined , diagnosed, treated and home in a far better condition than when they arrived. All within 48 hours.
Well done Morrsiton hospital.
Pity this paper only wants to print the bad news , again and again.
Reckon the editor's either got a down on the NHS or has shares in David Cameron's Private Health Care, supporters, companies. Perhaps both.”
by abertawegolf2
Thursday, February 23 2012, 9:45AM
“All that is required here is hands on nursing staff, as the old type nurse has moved on up the ladder leaving a void on wards and other departments. How can sparse nursing cater for over 20+ people, if some patients need feeding (plenty of media coverage regarding this) there goes the nursing care to other patients. As for bed shortages through bugs and ward closure. (never heard of in my days) Is this what project 2000 really was all about. Lack of foresight springs to mind with past present upper management skills.”