Patients wait five hours in A&E

PATIENTS were forced to wait in ambulances outside the Royal Oldham Hospital’s accident and emergency department as staff struggled with a rush of patients.

Waiting times were pushed to over five hours in Thursday night’s incident.

Andrew Abernethy (41), from Moorside, arrived at accident and emergency at 11pm with his wife.

He said staff were treating patients inside the ambulances as there was no space inside the building.

He said: “My wife wasn’t feeling well so on the advice of the Go To Doc service we went to the Royal Oldham Hospital.

“As soon as we arrived we were told waiting times were five and a half hours plus.

“It was astonishing. A&E wasn’t even mobbed, but the length of time was so long because people were waiting for doctors.

“Patients were being treated outside and then being shipped off to other hospitals.”

A Trust spokesman said waiting times did exceeded five hours because of an influx of patients.

He said: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

“There is a reduction in staff after midnight and on this occasion the number of people attending Accident and Emergency exceeded capacity.

“Patients were being kept in ambulances as there was no provision in the department for them to go on to a trolley for treatment.”

He added: “We would advise people not to attend A&E unless it really is an accident or emergency. We would ask them to see their GP, a pharmacist or visit a drop-in centre where appropriate.”