Dad, 80, 'left on hospital trolley for 40 hours'

An 80-year-old man was left on a hospital trolley for more than 40 hours just months after having a pacemaker fitted, his daughter has said.

Colin Gray, from Wirral, was admitted to Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, at 21:00 GMT on 30 December but his daughter Kirsty claimed he did not get a bed until 15:30 on New Year's Day.

She said: "It was a very worrying time."

A hospital statement said it had been "extremely busy with high numbers of patients self-presenting and arriving by ambulance".

Ms Gray said her mother had stayed with her father for the whole 40-hour period he was kept on a trolley in the hospital's acute area.

Mr Gray had a pacemaker fitted in November and was expecting to be called back for some "tweaks" but was admitted to hospital because he had trouble breathing and felt fatigued.

"He was quite uncomfortable. There wasn't a lot of monitoring. It was really a waiting room where he was waiting to be seen," said Ms Gray, who expressed sympathy for the staff at the hospital.

"Staff were trying to be as helpful as they could but they were totally overstretched and overwhelmed by incoming patients," she added.

A statement from Wirral University Teaching Hospital said: "As with other hospitals across the country, our Emergency Department is extremely busy with high numbers of patients self-presenting and arriving by ambulance.

"To maintain patient safety, we prioritise the patients in most urgent need of emergency care and unfortunately this may have meant a longer than expected wait for other patients especially those awaiting hospital admission.

"Our senior team are in contact with the patient and his family to ensure they are fully supported at this time."

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