Bold truth: a 77-year-old woman spent 46 hours waiting on a plastic chair in A&E before a pulmonary embolism diagnosis. And this is where the story gets controversial... Janet Ramage, from Skegness, Lincolnshire, describes her experience at Boston’s emergency department as “abuse.” She says she should not have to fight for treatment and that while she’s not afraid of dying, she wants a real chance at life.
The Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG) apologized for any experience that fell short of the standards they aim to provide.
Ramage arrived at Pilgrim Hospital on the afternoon of 18 January and was admitted to a ward two days later. During the ordeal, three different doctors expressed a desire to treat her but struggled to find a bed. “I thought, well I’m not going until I get one,” she recalled. On the third going-on, after about 40 hours, she told a doctor, “You’re not throwing me out of this hospital. I am not going. This is abuse, what you’re doing to me and it is also cruelty.” She believes that leaving for home could have meant her death.
A CQC inspection of urgent and emergency services at Boston Pilgrim Hospital, released last July, found improvements were needed in five of six categories. NHS data since June 2023 show the hospital’s parent trust repeatedly falling short of the national four-hour standard for treating A&E and minor injuries patients. In January, the United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, part of LCHQ, recorded just 62.7% against the England-wide average of 72.5%. Of 21,729 visitors in January, 5,098 required emergency admission via A&E and 1,595 waited more than 12 hours.
Ramage said she began experiencing breathing trouble four days before the A&E visit. She called her GP and was advised to dial 999, but she delayed, hoping rest would help. She notes that blood began appearing when she used the bathroom, prompting her to call 999.
After the 46-hour wait, Ramage was admitted and received two blood transfusions. Her family was told she had a pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening condition caused by a blood clot blocking a lung vessel. She described the ward care as “excellent” and was discharged after ten days.
Yet she remains dismayed by the A&E experience and has lodged complaints with doctors at the time. “It was diabolical to put me in that position to begin with,” she said.
Healthwatch Lincolnshire, a patient advocacy group, reports increased demand across health and care services. Dean Odell, head of operations, said the strain is affecting patients and staff alike, urging improvements in patient flow, staffing, and communication during waits.
Nerea Odongo, group chief nurse for LCHG, emphasized that concerns about patient care are taken seriously and apologized for experiences that did not meet their standards. While they cannot comment on individual cases, she welcomed inquiries to the patient advice and liaison service.
Additional reporting by Amber Macey.
