Woman had eight-hour wait in the back of an ambulance for hospital bed in Cornwall
A woman from Bude spent more than eight hours waiting in the back of an ambulance to be seen at Royal Cornwall Hospital due to delays.
Kate, 49, has multiple sclerosis (MS) and had a five-minute seizure while watching TV with her partner at home on Monday 16 September.
Her partner called the ambulance, which took an hour to arrive. She would go on to spend eight hours waiting to be admitted to hospital in the back of an ambulance before a further 12-hour wait in a corridor.
"I had four seizures waiting for the ambulance," Kate said.
She told ITV News she can't remember the ambulance arriving or the journey - but was told "there's no room" when she arrived at the hospital at around midnight.
“I was taken into the hospital to be triaged and then taken back out to the ambulance," Kate said.
The organisation responsible for NHS services in Cornwall has apologised to Kate, saying her experience is not one they want any patients to have. A spokesperson said services have been extremely busy.
Kate emphasised how "incredible" NHS staff were during the incident - but added she could "see the frustration" on the paramedics faces.
“They were so lovely and took such good care of me," she said. “The nurses, doctors and porters were running around doing what they could with what they had.
"They’re not able to do the job they’re supposed to do."
Kate was seen by a doctor in the back of the ambulance but waited eight hours to be transferred into the hospital. She then waited in a corridor bay for 12 hours.
She said: "We see it all the time when the ambulances are stacking up at Treliske, it is no longer big enough for the people in the county. Add on holiday makers, there’s not enough room."
Kate discharged herself after spending the night in the corridor.
“It was affecting my MS because I was fatigued and hadn’t eaten properly," she said.
A spokesperson for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care System said: “We are sorry, it is not the experience we want for any of our patients.
“Our health and care services are extremely busy this week and we are prioritising patients with the most urgent need.
“Delays in receiving care are often reflective of pressure not only on the main emergency department but across the entire health and care system. That’s why we are working closely with our frontline teams to increase the use of local available services, such as Same Day Emergency Care services at Penzance and Bodmin and our X-ray car, so only those most acutely unwell or injured need to come to our main hospitals.
“We encourage people to still continue to call 999 if they have a life or limb-threatening emergency.
"For all other needs, please use one of our 10 minor injury units and urgent treatment centre at West Cornwall Hospital, which have shorter wait times and can be used without an appointment.
"All of these things help keep our emergency services free for the patients who need them the most.”