A&E patients enduring ‘inhumane’ conditions in Scotland

A leading clinician has said that several of Scotland’s Accident & emergency departments want emergency measures brought in due to concerns about patient safety.

 

Dr John Paul Loughrey of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said patients were having to endure “inhumane” conditions because of high occupancy.

 

A&E waiting times have been the worst on record in recent months and the Scottish government has urged people with common winter illnesses to use NHS self help guides.

 

RCEM president Dr Adrian Boyle recent warned that between 300 and 500 people were dying each week across the UK as a result of delays in emergency care.  He added that a severe flu outbreak, which had been made worse by a lack of immunity due to Covid isolation measures, has resulted in bed occupancy reaching record levels.

 

Dr Loughrey, vice president of the RCEM in Scotland, said the figure was around 50 deaths per week north of the border.

 

He said vulnerable patients were being kept in “frigid” conditions in ambulances parked outside hospitals because there was no room for new admissions.

 

Others, he said, faced waits on hospital trolleys for hours and becoming delirious, with risks of falling or contracting infections due to waiting rooms being overcrowded.

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

 

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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