Man who feared he was having heart attack endures five-hour wait outside King's Lynn hospital

A patient who feared he was having a heart attack says he was forced to wait outside an A&E department in an ambulance for five hours.

Justin Shough, 38, from Swaffham, was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn early on Monday morning after experiencing severe chest pains and a fluctuating heart rate.

When he arrived at the hospital via ambulance, Mr Shough, who has Addison's disease which is a rare condition that affects the adrenal glands on the top of the kidneys, said he was told by staff that there would be a considerable wait due to a backlog of patients following the Jubilee weekend and a lack of available specialists.

At that stage, ambulance crews were unsure just how serious his heart complaint was.

Justin took this picture of ambulances waiting outside the hospital on Monday. Credit: Justin Shough/Twitter

After hours of being kept in the ambulance and being continually assessed by paramedics, he was finally given the green light to head inside to the hospital's A&E department where he spent a further two hours before eventually being discharged.

Mr Shough said the department was "completely full" and he had to wait in the hallway because there were no seats free.

"I had been in A&E a month or so or ago and I went straight in and there was no issues," he told ITV News Anglia.

"I think I was quite shocked at the length of time I was trapped, stuck in the ambulance. There could be someone who is in a far worse situation than me, who desperately needs to be seen immediately and go straight into hospital, and the results could be catastrophic."

Justin talks to ITV News Anglia's Raveena Ghattaura. Credit: ITV News Anglia

In Mr Shough's case, his story had a happy ending, and he believes his scare was caused by an adverse reaction to some new medication he had been prescribed for his chronic condition.

He also said he "so grateful" to the paramedics who looked after him, and attributed no blame to the hospital.

"Ultimately, it's no one's fault - everyone is under immense pressure," said Mr Shough.

"The paramedics said a lot of nurses have left the NHS over the past couple of years, and credit to anyone who does that job. I'm so grateful to the paramedics, they do save people's lives. But, there are issues that need to be looked at in terms of waiting times and people being stuck outside hospitals."

A sign outside the A&E department at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on Wednesday. Credit: ITV News Anglia

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital confirmed that the hospital is currently experiencing a "very high demand" for its emergency care services.

Mr Shough's story is the latest evidence of the huge pressures on the NHS following the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and short-term pressures from the long jubilee weekend.

The situation was laid bare by a video of a nurse addressing A&E patients at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, where she warns them that they face waits of up to 13 hours to be seen, and urges family members to leave to create space for those needing medical attention.

After being shown the video, Health Secretary Sajid Javid admitted it was "not a thing that anyone wants to see”.

Like the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, all other hospitals in Norfolk are also under considerable pressure, having moved to the highest level of alert on Tuesday.

  • Watch an extended interview with Prof Erika Denton

At the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, relatives are being urged to pick up loved ones if possible in order to free up more space.

"It does certainly feel more like mid-winter for us. We are all really struggling," the Norfolk and Norwich's Medical Director, Prof Erika Denton, told ITV News Anglia.

"We know that we have significant workforce shortages. If relatives can help, that makes a huge difference. If we can free up some beds, we can then move patients who need to be admitted from our A&E department into proper beds, and we can offload ambulances."

Meanwhile, a "critical incident" that was declared at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage earlier this week has now been stood down, but bosses have warned that the hospital remains "very busy."

“If you are attending the Lister Hospital emergency department you will continue to wait a long time unless you have a life or limb-threatening illness or injury," a spokesperson said.

"We urge the public to contact NHS 111 by visiting 111.nhs.uk or calling 111 who can direct you to the most appropriate care."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know