Cartoonist Bill Tidy was made to wait almost 24 hours in a hospital A&E department with a serious chest infection, his family says. LeicestershireLive reports the 88-year-old was taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary in an ambulance on July 20 and had to wait until the next day before he was placed in a bed on a ward.
Tidy's ordeal began as soon as he arrived at the hospital as he had to wait for several hours in the back of the ambulance. He was eventually admitted to A&E, where he stayed until the following afternoon.
His son Robert waited with him and made a number of requests for a bed for his father, who receives regular care at his home in Swannington, near Coalville. But he kept being told that no beds were available.
Tidy, the former cartoonist for the Daily Mirror who illustrated more than 70 books, remained in the A&E department overnight, becoming more and more "anxious", his family said. The following morning he was given a stretcher which was too small to keep his feet on.
Tidy's daughter, Sylvia Tidy-Harris, described the wait as "completely unacceptable". She questioned how an elderly and vulnerable person could be left waiting for so long.
Ms Tidy-Harris said: "By 10.40pm he still didn't have a bed. He was exhausted and he could barely speak or move. He was very anxious and very stressed. In the end, it was 24 hours from being taken by ambulance to being admitted to a ward. I just don't understand how you can keep taking people in if you don't have beds. The system is broken and likely beyond repair."
Tidy, who was awarded an MBE for his services to journalism, has been in declining health in recent years following two major strokes, his family said. Sylvia added: "Seeing a loved one in that position is horrible. The staff were wonderful for the most part and it's not their fault but the hospital needs to get organised. It was just a series of errors."
Jon Melbourne, chief operating officer at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: “We are extremely sorry to any patient who has experienced a long wait after they’ve been admitted from our emergency department. We know this is not ideal but our teams are working hard to ensure all patients are supported and cared for whilst they wait."
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