Pneumonia-stricken granddad, 79, spent 55 HOURS stuck in A&E unit waiting for hospital bed

A grandfather had to be imprisoned for 55 hours a cramped consulting room awaiting a bed in the emergency room.

Geoffrey Knell, 79, spent more than two and a half ‘uncomfortable and painful’ days in a chair before being assigned to a ward at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent.

The grandfather of seven children from Margate was admitted at 7am on Sunday 26 March with a chest infection and was diagnosed with pneumonia later that day.

But Mr Knell, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a common lung condition that causes breathing difficulties – was not given a bed until 2.30pm on Tuesday.

His son, Paul, also claimed he was not served a single hot meal while waiting and was ‘deprived of sleep for two nights’.

He added: “He was in a consulting room with no privacy with seven other people.

“It was very cramped and there was no room for visitors. It’s really sad. He had no hot food – only cold sandwiches – and you have to get your own water.

“He can’t really walk very far, just two steps, so my mom has to be with him 90 percent of the time. But that means she sleeps too, and she’s 76.’

Earlier this month, amid increasing pressure on staff, East Kent Hospitals warned people not to go to the emergency departments at Margate Hospital and William Harvey Hospital in Ashford unless it was an emergency or if their injury or disease is life-threatening. .

Previously, the NHS rulebook stated that at least 95 per cent of patients who go to an emergency room should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

However, this has not been achieved nationally since 2015.

But in January, NHS England set a target for hospitals to see just three-quarters of A&E patients within four hours – effectively lowering the official target.

East Kent Hospital Trust – which manages five hospitals in the area – currently records the fifth worst A&E waiting times in the whole of England.

Last month, only 40 percent of patients were seen within four hours at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital and William Harvey Hospital.

These were the worst ever recorded for the trust.

And more than 1,000 patients had to wait at least 12 hours for a bed for the seventh month in a row.

Yet trusts in nearby Maidstone and Dartford recorded just seven 12-hour waiting periods over the same period.

The latest NHS performance data shows that 34,976 people waited more than 12 hours in A&E departments across England in February.

The number is down from 42,735 in January.

A major cause of so-called ‘corridor waiting’ is the huge number of patients who are kept in hospital despite being well enough to leave.

These delayed discharges of ‘bed blockers’ are often caused by a lack of suitable places for patients to be transferred to amid a shortage of nursing homes, and not enough help from carers to enable patients to return home.

This, in turn, leads to clogged hospital beds and an emergency backlog.

Due to the combination of persistent pressure on services, the backlog in care and a chronic staff shortage, unprecedented waiting times have risen to record highs.

Sarah Shingler, head nurse and midwife at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, told MailOnline today: ‘I am very sorry to hear of Geoffrey’s experience – this is not the standard of care we want for our patients.

“Safe patient care remains our priority and our staff work extremely hard to ensure people are seen as soon as possible.”

She added: ‘Both of our emergency departments are undergoing a significant expansion following a £30 million investment, with improved waiting areas, adult and pediatric treatment rooms and staff facilities.

“We also use virtual wards, allowing patients to receive care and treatment in their own homes and avoid hospital admissions.”

But Mr Knell’s heartbreaking ordeal also comes before the biggest strike in NHS history in 11 days, with thousands of junior doctors – including in emergency rooms – set to strike for 96 hours over wages.

His son said staff were “obviously overwhelmed,” with hallways doubled as waiting rooms.

He added: ‘I know the staff are doing everything they can – I’m just a concerned son. It is worrying and additional stress for the family.

“We just want him settled — that’s our main concern — so he gets some rest and recovers as quickly as possible and gets out of the hospital.”

Mr Knell also claimed an 82-year-old woman had been waiting 12 hours longer than his father for a bed.

The staff were so concerned that she might develop pressure sores while sitting in a chair that she was given an inflatable cushion, he said.

Mr Knell, from North Thanet in Kent, claimed he had contacted his MP Sir Roger Gale, who told him he would raise the matter with Health Secretary Steve Barclay.

Canterbury Labor MP Rosie Duffield warned that the delays could lead to people in urgent need of care ‘falling through the cracks’.

She said: “People in East Kent who need urgent medical attention are forced to wait far too long to be seen, and too many people are left behind for hours, often in severe pain, with increasing fear and anxiety.

“I am very concerned that these delays are preventing people from going to the emergency room when they need medical attention.

“Unacceptable waiting times mean that people in urgent need can fall through the cracks.”

She added: “We need immediate government action to reduce waiting times in hospitals, for emergency departments and routine treatment.

“People are also struggling to see their GP, which puts even more strain on the already overburdened emergency room.

It is clear that we cannot go on like this. Ministers must recognize this and act quickly to save lives.

“I know from voters, family and friends in East Kent that the situation here is extremely worrying at the moment and that unacceptable waiting times for treatment urgently need to be improved.”