Saturday, October 8, 2016

Crammed King George Hospital shows why bed cuts need reversing






A Redbridge resident has written about his daughter's experience of KGH A&E, it shows why we need the 115 acute beds closed at King George Hospital since 2011 to be re-opened, A father's report of King George A&E follows:

" I've had recent personal experience of KGH and A&E which I think may help support your campaign. In January my daughter was home from uni and got a urinary infection that developed into sepsis. Loxford Clinic sent her straight to A&E where she was prioritised waiting only about 30 mins instead of the 3+ hour wait as it was then.  She was taken straight through to a cubicle and in no time they had set-up IV saline, antibiotics and paracetamol.  But then everything stalled and as we were by the board it was obvious that staff were already worried about breaching the 4 hour limit as there were no beds available in wards. As time went on they eventually started bringing beds into A&E and my daughter was transferred to one still in the same cubicle. I left at about 1am when it was obvious she was going nowhere and by this time there were people sitting on chairs in A&E because cubicles couldn't be freed up and complaining that they had been waiting for hours. I went back the following morning and she was still in the cubicle until they eventually found her a bed in the Renal Unit. I'm sure you've heard many stories like this, but I thought I'd chip in."

The graph is from the decision making business case of 2011 showing 387 acute beds at King George Hospital, the Freedom of Information request, the freedom of information is from hospital management showing beds cut to 272 at 31 August of this year.