A DURHAM hospital patient has accused the NHS Trust of “mass neglect” after she was allegedly left in A&E for over 20 hours with no personal care – while she waited for bone specialists to treat a condition at the start of this month.

Denise Burn was admitted by ambulance to University Hospital of North Durham on Tuesday (January 4) evening, where she sat on the emergency vehicle for several hours before she was transported to the A&E department.

Despite Mrs Burn alleging that she was in “severe discomfort” and wet the bed, she says that she was left all day by medical professionals to “fend for herself”.

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After finally waiting for nearly a full day for care, the County Durham woman says that she was ‘refused’ a consultation with the bone doctor and “stuck” on ward 16 in the hospital – where the patient stayed until she was discharged on Friday (January 7).

Now that Mrs Burn is recovering at home, she has now highlighted the “poor” level of care she was offered during her time in Durham, while also attacking the quality of service from the NHS.

She said: “All I ever wanted from the health service was basic care – I’ve always worked hard all of my life and I’d hoped that when I need help, it’s there for me. It’s not a lot to ask for.

The Northern Echo: The patient alleges that she was left in A&E without basic care for up to 20 hours on Tuesday, January 4.The patient alleges that she was left in A&E without basic care for up to 20 hours on Tuesday, January 4.

“I was in hospital between Tuesday and Friday, but it was one thing after another. I was laid on a stretcher for up to 20 hours with no personal care whatsoever – I feel let down by the hospital.

“I was waiting for a bone doctor, so another doctor came and rang to try and see what was happening – that’s when I was refused care from the bone doctor.”

While the hospital patient has chosen not to pursue a medical complaint with the NHS Trust themselves, she now wants to warn others about her first-hand experience.

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She added: “A mental health patient came in when I was there in ward 16, she got all the care she needed, even though she had the nurse by the throat. Where’s the consistency here?”

Following the patient approaching The Northern Echo, the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust have said that new year pressure on the service and Covid-19 cases has meant that hospitals across the region are impacted in how they can sometimes help patients.

A spokesperson for the Trust said: “Since Christmas we have seen further pressures on health services due to the numbers of patients requiring help and support, increased numbers of Covid infections and the levels of unwellness common at this time of year. 

The Northern Echo: The County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust has apologised to the patient but has said that the service is "under pressure" coming into 2022.The County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust has apologised to the patient but has said that the service is "under pressure" coming into 2022.

“On the day in question, over 200 patients attended our emergency department at University Hospital of North Durham, a high proportion of whom were very unwell and needed to be admitted.”

The Trust has also apologised to Mrs Burn for their part in having the negative experience of the NHS but believes that the case could have been dealt with using the official complaints route.

The spokesperson added: “Our staff work hard to ensure patients have the best possible experience in our care and we apologise to Mrs Burn if aspects of her own experience did not meet our high standards on this occasion. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss the issues Mrs Burns raised".  

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