‘I went to hospital with chest pain and spent four nights in a freezing storeroom’

Gwyneth Roberts, 54, from Rhyl, successful North Wales, claims that she was kept for 4 nights successful a "freezing cold" storeroom astatine Ysbyty Glan Clwyd having gone to the infirmary with thorax pains

A mum claims she spent 4 nights successful a "freezing cold" hospital storeroom aft spending 32 hours successful a waiting country with thorax pains.

Gwyneth Roberts, 54, from Rhyl, in North Wales, who was admitted to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd alleged determination was nary heating successful the Ward 11 storeroom she was allocated. It was afloat of aesculapian supplies and, according to Gwyneth, was being utilized for patients due to unit connected furniture space.

"There was nary toilet oregon lavation facilities," she said. "But the main occupation was the acold - it was freezing successful there. It was truthful cold, I couldn't sleep. I wore other clothes, including my dressing gown. The nurses were precise bully and connected the 3rd nighttime they brought maine 2 other blankets. But it was inactive very, precise cold."

Gwytheth, who has learning difficulties, was taken by ambulance to the Bodelwyddan infirmary aboriginal connected Monday, October 7. She was expecting a lengthy hold but it went connected longer than she could person imagined. She said she was near successful sizeable discomfort.

"My doc thought I mightiness person a humor clot connected my lung," she said. "I besides person psoriasis and DVT. But successful the waiting country determination was nary stool for my leg. I was determination for 32 hours. By the extremity determination were tears successful my eyes due to the fact that determination was truthful overmuch pain."

After a spell successful the hospital's Acute Medical Unit, wherever Covid was ruled out, Gwyneth was moved to the storeroom. "By the Thursday night, I astir asked to spell home," she told NorthWalesLive. "I couldn't basal it anymore. I asked for much blankets I was disquieted the acold was making my information worse.

"I was lonely too, successful determination by myself. Nurses popped successful to bash humor checks and stuff, and determination were meals brought in. I could telephone them connected my doorbell but determination was nary 1 other to speech to. It was horrible."

Given her disability, Gwyneth has a enactment idiosyncratic who visits her connected Tuesdays to assistance astir the house. "My enactment idiosyncratic visited maine connected the Thursday and she didn't similar what she saw," she said. "She took photos and said she would kick astir the room."

Some patients mightiness accidental a abstracted room, adjacent a draughty store room, is preferable to being kept successful a corridor. Gwyneth dismissed the idea. "I would person overmuch preferred being successful a corridor," she said. "Not lone is it warmer and little lonely, the nurses tin support a person oculus connected you."

The Welsh Government wants 95% of patients to beryllium spending little than 4 hours successful infirmary exigency departments. None should beryllium waiting much than 12 hours. In September, the latest period for which figures are available, lone 68.8% of patients waited little than 4 hours.

Median waiting clip was 2 hours and 42 minutes, with older patients waiting longer than younger ones. In September, radical aged 85 and implicit waited an mean of 5 hours and 32 minutes.

Health boards person agelong argued determination isn't a shortage infirmary beds, conscionable pressures connected diligent flows owed to a post-discharge shortage of assemblage resources. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) estimates 10%-15% of its furniture capableness is taken up by radical who are acceptable for discharge but are waiting for assemblage support. In turn, this is affecting diligent flows successful exigency departments.

BCUHB was approached for a comment. A spokesperson for the wellness committee said: "We are incapable to sermon the attraction of immoderate diligent oregon work idiosyncratic without their consent, but would ever promote idiosyncratic to interaction america straight if they person immoderate questions oregon concerns astir their care." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent doubly regular to your inbox