A PENSIONER who suffered a suspected heart attack was left waiting 16 hours, overnight in A&E.

John Farr, 76, who lives alone at his home on Mallard Close, Worcester, was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital at around 6.30pm on Tuesday August 17 after experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, he did not receive results until 11am the following day.

Mr Farr was told there were no beds available and had to sit in the waiting room throughout the night.

He said: “The way I was treated was absolutely disgusting.

“I’m a 76-year-old man, to be sitting in A&E, not offered a drink or even a TV to watch, it was disgusting the way I was treated.

“I was called in at 11 o’clock. I was told the issue was because of beds but then when I went in there were three beds available. 

“The doctor told me I have got fluid around my heart. It’s possible I had a heart attack.”

Matthew Hopkins, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Teams across our two emergency departments have been working incredibly hard to ensure patients receive appropriate and safe care throughout one of the most challenging periods in the history of the NHS.

“Our emergency departments have been very busy, with patient numbers well above what we were seeing this time two years ago. 

"Caring for so many people while also making sure that we protect our patients and staff from the risk of Covid-19 infection is a significant challenge, but one that our dedicated staff are rising to.”

He added: “Although we are unable to comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality, our emergency department teams always triage and treat patients in order of clinical priority.

“If anyone feels that they have not been treated appropriately, we would encourage them to contact our Patient Advice Liaison Service, so we can investigate and respond directly.

“We would urge the public to contact NHS 111, either online or by calling 111 to receive free urgent care advice before attending our A&E department, and to only use 999 in a life-threatening emergency.”

Mr Farr was then kept in for the next two nights before being discharged on Friday.

His son, Richard Lawrence, who lives in Kidderminster, dropped him off at the hospital.

Mr Lawrence said: “Given that presumably Covid is no longer filling our hospital wards why did my 76-year-old father have to wait 16 hours in the waiting room spending the night sitting on a hard chair?

“I drove him to hospital after work. 

"He had real difficulty walking into A&E from the car park even, had to stop for five minutes at the bus stop. 

“The hospital was really helpful once he was admitted but what a crazy wait.

“I know it’s not a major NHS screw up, but I just think it also wasn’t good at all, pretty poor actually.”

He added: “To be stuck on those seats and awake all night would push most people physically. 

“The security guard went off shift and came back to work the next morning finding my dad still sat in there.

“We are lucky to have the NHS and those staff who looked after my dad are not to blame, but I think there is an organisational problem somewhere."