An 83-year-old grandfather with a heart condition was forced to sleep on a camp bed brought by his family during a 14-hour wait in a Scottish A&E department.
George Morris, who doctors feared might have sepsis, was unable to sit comfortably on the hard plastic chairs provided by Hairmyres Hospital during his lengthy ordeal in early November.
A Family's Desperate Measures
His daughter, Mandy Morris, described the scene as 'absolutely shameful' after she had to bring a camping bed, blankets and a hot water bottle to the hospital in the early hours of the morning.
"At 4am I had to take up a camp bed after over 14 hours of waiting to be seen despite being referred by a GP to get admitted for IV Antibiotics," said Mandy.
This wasn't the first time the family had experienced such conditions. Just weeks earlier, on October 23, George had spent nearly 20 hours in a waiting room chair at Glasgow Royal Infirmary after being referred by his GP with concerns about a serious infection and irregular heartbeat.
Pattern of Lengthy Waits
The situation escalated on Saturday, November 1, when George developed soaring temperatures and uncontrollable shaking. After being assessed at an out-of-hours service, he was referred to Hairmyres Hospital A&E with concerns the infection had entered his bloodstream.
His daughter explained: "My sister took him on Sunday around tea time and he was very very unwell by now. He was shaking so badly they struggled to get blood out of him for analysis but again we were told he needed to be admitted for IV antibiotics."
Despite this medical advice, George was sent back to the waiting room where no seats were available. By 3:30am on Monday morning, with no sign of him being seen, the family took matters into their own hands.
Call for Immediate Action
Mandy is now challenging politicians and NHS management to experience what constituents face daily. "This is not about 'peak times' - this is the new normal," she stated.
She emphasised that staff weren't to blame, describing them as "absolutely battle weary and exhausted," but questioned what contingency plans are in place for immediate improvements rather than future investments.
George was eventually admitted around 7am and spent four days in hospital receiving multiple courses of antibiotics.
Lise Axford, Chief of Nursing Services at University Hospital Hairmyres, apologised for the wait and acknowledged that emergency departments face "sustained pressure across all three acute hospitals, with exceptionally high numbers of people attending A&E."
