Councillor’s praise for hospital staff despite 32 hour A&E wait ordeal after wife’s collapse

Dale Spridgeon – Local democracy reporter

A councillor has praised Gwynedd hospital staff for their “brilliant care” whilst sharing details of a gruelling 32 hour wait with his wife in the A&E department.

Deborah Owen spent eight hours overnight in a busy Bangor hospital waiting room, followed by 24 hours on a trolley following a collapse.

After being seen by doctors, she would later spend a further six hours on a chair in a ward until she saw the consultant and could go home.

Cyngor Gwynedd councillor Gwynfor Owen said he wanted to “emphasise praise” for all the nurses and doctors who looked after his wife.

They work “incredibly hard caring for people amid huge pressures,” he said.

The councillor relayed the couple’s experience during a meeting of Cyngor Gwynedd’s care scrutiny committee on Thursday, February 20.

Blood

It came as constituents’ questions over hospital services were being presented to Betsi Cadwalader University Health Board chiefs Teresa Owen, Dyfed Edwards and Ffion Johnstone.

Cllr Owen had described how he had returned to his Gwynedd home to find a pool of blood on the ground outside his front door – inside, his wife Deborah was sat bleeding.

She had apparently passed out and hit her face after a long term cardiovascular problem had flared up on Monday, January 6.

The councillor initially drove her to the minor injuries hospital at Ysbyty Alltwen, in Porthmadog, where he also described the “brilliant service and staff ” who helped patch up her minor wound.

But after establishing that her blood pressure was “very high” it was advised that she go to Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor – some 27 miles away.

As a four hour wait for an ambulance was considered likely the Harlech and Llanbedr councillor drove her himself to Ysbyty Gwynedd, where he said he was again “full of praise” for the Bangor medical staff.

“Arriving at the hospital at 11pm, we were seen quickly by triage but then had to wait in the sit-down area of A&E for about eight hours,” he said.

Pressure

The staff in the busy department “were working under tremendous pressure,” he added.

By 7am, his wife had collapsed again and a number of doctors and nurses had come immediately to her assistance.

“Their service to her was excellent,” he said.

She was taken to the other side of the A&E and placed on a trolley for another 24 hours and then moved to the Gogarth Ward where she was for about six hours until being discharged, he said.

“Up on the ward my wife saw a consultant after six hours, but she had seen other brilliant doctors in the meantime. She along with others were sitting here, rather than on a trolley,” he said.

During the long incident Cllr Owen said he had been “famished” and “very tired” but had managed to get home to rest for a few hours.

He said there had been no cold drinks machine available – it was out of order – and no food in the immediate area, although he eventually discovered a sandwich machine outside the hospital canteen.

“People were afraid to miss their turn if they went to try and find a shop, even if one was still open then, or to try to look for a sandwiches or drinks machine,” he said.

He suggested that people would feel “less frustration” waiting for so long if there had been access to drinks and food.

He also expressed “concerns” that the Gogarth Ward was being used as “an extension to A&E”.

Common

Responding during the meeting, BCUHB Chair Dyfed Edwards hoped the councillor’s wife was better, saying: “What you have shared is a fairly common experience, I have been in emergency departments in Wrexham, Glan Clwyd and Ysbyty Gwynedd, it can be difficult indeed for staff undertaking a shift under those circumstances, extremely difficult.

“Let us try and influence what we can influence, one of those is the people’s experience when waiting, be they on a waiting list for one, two or three years even for treatment, the same is true of emergency departments for people waiting hours, sometimes days.

“We have to look after them while they are there without detracting from the clinical side.

“We need to ensure people get the required care, we do work with people like the Red Cross at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd.

“I think we need to look at what we do in these situations, so that we can create the best possible situations while people are waiting.”

He also encouraged people to respond to hospital surveys giving feedback, saying “that would help us to improve”.