Morriston Hospital: Husband slams wife's 32 hour wait to be seen in a 'rammed' A&E department

Mrs Davies works at the hospital herself, as a health care support worker. Credit: Media Wales.

A husband has slammed the "ridiculous" 32-hour-wait his wife endured for a bed at a "rammed" emergency department.

Kay Davies, 58, from Resolven, was taken Morriston Hospital in Swansea by her husband.

Philip Martin, 59, said his wife had been "very unwell" for around "nine days" and began "vomiting" on Bank Holiday Monday 10 April, so he took her in.

He claimed a fellow patient had been waiting in the hospital's Emergency Department for "three days".

The health board said there was an "unprecedented demand" on the hospital's A&E department over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

In the last year, Mrs Davies has had a cancerous tumour removed from her neck and underwent six weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She also has an aneurysm to the brain.

Her husband, Mr Martin, praised the efforts of "hard working staff" at the hospital, but said he felt something had to be done to "improve the issues" surrounding the time patients were being asked to wait.

In response, Swansea Bay University Health Board said there was an "unprecedented demand" on the hospital's A&E department over the Easter bank holiday weekend.

It added that had a "considerable impact on waiting times".

Mrs Davies' husband claimed there were "there were nine ambulances waiting outside at one point".

  • "I took her in on Monday at 2pm... she didn't get a bed until Wednesday"

Mr Martin, a support worker at a children's home, said: "My wife had been unwell for nine days in bed with a temperature and didn't want to go to A&E, but she didn't improve and I took her in on Monday at 2pm. She didn't get a bed until Wednesday.

"It was 32 hours before she got a bed.

"We had absolutely no idea it would take that long. I only had £2 on me."

He added: "There was another guy in a wheelchair awaiting leg treatment who said he had been there for three days."

  • "Everyone who was there felt it was ridiculous"

Mr Martin continued: "The treatment we had from the NHS staff was fantastic, but it was so rammed in A&E it was ridiculous. I stayed with Kay for 11 hours and then I had to go to work. I couldn't believe it when I came back and she was still there waiting for a bed.

"It was a terrible experience for her, it was a case of waiting for someone to go so she could have a lie down.

"There were nine ambulances waiting outside at one point. I don't know what the answer could be."

A spokeswoman for Swansea Bay University Health Board said: “The demand on Morriston Hospital’s emergency department was unprecedented over the long Easter bank holiday weekend.

"We saw a large number of very unwell patients and, as we will always prioritise those with the most serious and life-threatening illnesses and injuries, this unfortunately had a considerable impact on waiting times within the department."