An elderly cancer patient had to endure a 10-hour wait in a car in freezing conditions outside an A&E department that claimed to be too full to admit her. The 75-year-old woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, was urgently taken to NHS Wigan Infirmary after showing symptoms of sepsis as diagnosed by her GP. However, upon arrival on November 24, she was faced with an overcrowded department, prompting a nurse to advise her family to have her wait in her granddaughter’s car to maintain isolation due to her compromised immune system from chemotherapy.
Recent statistics revealed that 30% of ambulance arrivals at hospitals in England last week experienced a minimum 30-minute wait for A&E handover, a slight improvement from the 36% reported in the same week in 2024. Additionally, approximately 10% of ambulance handovers last week, totaling 9,580 patients, encountered delays exceeding an hour, a decrease from 16% during the corresponding period in 2024. The elderly lady involved in the incident in Wigan was battling stage 3 ovarian cancer, having been diagnosed in August of the same year.
Despite her critical condition, the woman’s family expressed disappointment at the lack of isolation or priority given to her, with nurses suggesting that she remain in the car rather than in the crowded waiting area. She was instructed to spend the night in the car from 11 pm to 9 am, enduring temperatures as low as -1°C, only stepping out once to receive antibiotics. It wasn’t until the next day that she was finally examined by doctors and granted a bed 50 hours later on November 26 for treatment of chest and stomach infections. Hospital authorities have since issued an apology, acknowledging the incident as “highly regrettable” but citing it as one of the busiest days ever at the A&E department.
The granddaughter of the patient criticized the situation as “unacceptable,” emphasizing the lack of appropriate care and prioritization for her grandmother. Following a distressing night in the car, the patient was subsequently accommodated in a crowded corridor inside A&E due to being connected to a drip, further exposing her to discomfort and potential risks. The granddaughter emphasized the need for transparency and accountability within the healthcare system, labeling the events at Wigan Infirmary as neglectful and unsafe.
The patient has been discharged and is back home, with no intention of returning to A&E even if feeling critically unwell. The chief executive officer of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) acknowledged the immense pressures faced by the Emergency Department on the day of the incident, expressing regret over any patient experiencing prolonged wait times for admission.
Efforts are being made to improve services and address staffing challenges to ensure prompt and compassionate care for all patients. The hospital has pledged continued investment and collaboration to enhance care accessibility and responsiveness, aiming to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.