Woman walks out of Ysbyty Glan Clwyd A&E after 'ridiculous' 15 hour wait

The woman attended A&E at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd on Friday. Credit: Media Wales

A woman walked out of a north Wales A&E after waiting more than 15 hours to be seen.

The 22-year-old, who has a heart condition, said the emergency unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd was so busy that the wait would have gone on even longer and she "may as well have been in pain in bed at home".The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, arrived at the emergency department on Friday and was told the wait would be "17 hours minimum".

The woman, who suffers from a heart condition, gets severe migraines, feels dizzy and loses her balance. She rang NHS Direct on Friday and was advised to attend A&E for a scan.

'Minimum 17-hour wait'

She said: "There were about 50 people in the waiting room. I got there at 8pm on Friday. I ended up leaving at 11.30am the next morning because I hadn't been seen."At about 1am (early Saturday) a nurse had come out to the waiting room and said it was going to be a 17-hour wait - minimum - to see a doctor. And there was only one doctor on duty. So everyone got upset and there was a bit of a mutiny where a load of people walked out. I just thought it was ridiculous."If I was going to be in pain I'd rather be in pain in my own bed. I've got meds at home that I take for my symptoms."

The woman said she was informed that there was a minimum 17 hour wait to see a doctor. Credit: Media Wales

Describing the waiting room as "hectic", the woman said: "There were people sleeping on the chairs, on the floor. There was one girl, she looked 18 or 19. She had an IV (intravenous drip) in her arm and she was just sat on the floor in the waiting room."The woman added: "The NHS does an amazing job. I want to bring attention to how they're struggling. Hopefully someone with the powers that be will do something about it."

Dr Nick Lyons, Executive Medical Director at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, said: “We are very sorry to hear one of our patients is unhappy with the care they received and we would encourage them to contact us directly with any concerns.

“Our Emergency Departments were extremely busy over the weekend, resulting in longer waiting times, despite the best efforts of our nursing and medical staff.“We urge the public to help. Patients who do not need full emergency hospital treatment may find that they can get appropriate advice and care from other NHS services, including minor injuries and local pharmacies. Please visit the BCUHB website if you are unsure where to go.”