Chest pain woman's wait claim

A patient suffering chest pains walked out of Stafford's main hospital in disgust after learning she faced a seven-hour wait for treatment.

Moira Alden-Court said she had already spent two-and-a-half hours waiting to be seen by medical staff at Staffordshire General Hospital when she was told by a sister that she and other patients might have to wait another four-and-a-half hours.

Mrs Alden-Court is writing a letter of protest.

The 63-year-old, of Light Ash Lane, Coven, was taken to Staffordshire General Hospital by ambulance with a suspected angina attack and seriously high blood pressure on Saturday – but claims she was not seen by medical staff at all between 2.50pm and 5.20pm.

She had been taken ill while attending the Staffordshire Parish Council's Association annual meeting in the County Buildings, Stafford. "Luckily, one of the delegates was a paramedic. An ambulance was called and I was taken to the hospital. Accident and emergency was not even full, but there were very few staff.

"I was told there was a staff shortage. I eventually discharged myself, but some others were still waiting to be seen," claimed Councillor Alden-Court, a member of Brewood and Coven Heath Parish Council.

She said she went to Cannock Chase Hospital on Monday and only had to wait 20 minutes. She is waiting for an x-ray taken at the hospital to be sent to her GP to help in diagnosing whether she has angina.

Trust spokeswoman Lisa Stokes said they had not been able to fully investigate Councillor Alden-Court's claims as a formal complaint had not yet been received.

"We can confirm that from midnight on Friday November 2 to midnight on November 3 there were 134 patients seen in accident and emergency with an average waiting time of 2 hours 25 minutes.

"Patients' clinical urgency for care is prioritised when they arrive at the accident and emergency department and those with non-life threatening conditions may be advised by the nurse of the potential wait of up to four hours," she said.