Overview
- Juliet Caryl, 61, who is insulin-dependent, says she lay vomiting and in severe pain on the William Harvey Hospital A&E floor for more than five hours on December 12 as staff walked past.
- A photograph taken by her friend shows a nurse walking by as she lay on the floor, and companions say pleas for help went unanswered.
- She was seen at about 12:30pm, moved to an assessment ward, diagnosed with a urinary infection, and given anti-sickness medication and antibiotics, and she is now recovering at home.
- Chief nursing officer Sarah Hayes apologized for Ms Caryl’s distress, said patients are prioritized by clinical need after initial assessment, and urged her to contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service for a full review.
- Recent figures show only 57.9% of patients at William Harvey and QEQM were seen within four hours in the latest period and 1,105 patients waited over 12 hours in November, as the trust operates under leadership changes with Dr Des Holden acting as CEO.