Bristol: BRI patient waits 31 hours on A&E trolley

Jenna Bailey said the hospital environment was "horrific" for both staff and patients

A woman with pneumonia waited for more than 30 hours on a hospital trolley in A&E as no beds were available.

Jenna Bailey, 39, from Bristol, attended the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI), on Sunday at 19:30 GMT after experiencing shortness of breath.

She was diagnosed with pneumonia by a consultant but had to wait in the emergency department on a trolley.

A spokesperson for the hospital apologised for the wait and said patient safety is its "priority".

"Like many hospitals across the country, we are under sustained pressure in our emergency departments," a spokesperson from University Hospitals Bristol and Weston (UHBW) NHS Foundation said.

The NHS is facing the worst winter for A&E waits on record as hospitals struggle to get patients out of wards and into appropriate care settings in the community.

'Reality was scary'

Some hospitals in the west of England are even discharging patients into a hotel to ease demand for beds.

Ms Bailey has an extensive history of cardiac and respiratory disease, and although she was seen within an hour by a nurse, she described the hospital environment as "horrific" for both staff and patients.

"I expected to wait for some time in the emergency department, but the reality was scary," Ms Bailey told BBC Radio Bristol.

Ms Bailey waited more than 30 hours on the hospital trolley

"The trolley was so uncomfortable and the constant noise in the A&E department meant I could not sleep," Ms Bailey said.

"I do not understand how hospital staff are coping with the demand- something needs to change," she added.

Ms Bailey has since been moved to a ward with a hospital bed and her condition is steadily improving.

"Things are heading in the right direction, but I still feel very weak and have a long way to go," she said.

Ms Bailey wants to give credit to the doctors and nurses for their hard work

"The doctors and nurses are doing an amazing job in a very difficult situation.

"They are professional to the end but they must be really struggling," she added.

A spokesperson for the UHBW NHS Foundation said: "We always aim to see and treat patients as quickly as possible, and all patients arriving at our emergency departments are triaged and assessed with the most clinically urgent being prioritised.

"We also face challenges in ensuring the timely discharge of medically fit patients.

"We are working together with local health and care partners to ensure that people who need hospital care can be admitted and then discharged from hospital safely."