A Channel 4 Dispatches investigation has uncovered disturbing details about the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital’s emergency department.
The programme, airing tonight at 9pm, sees an undercover reporter posing as a healthcare assistant documenting conditions within the emergency department.
The undercover footage exposes the suffering and dangers patients face on a daily basis including one patient waiting 30 hours in a designated “fit to sit” area, while a suspected stroke victim endured a 24-hour wait.
In one clip, an elderly man is forced to urinate into a bottle whilst on a trolley on the corridor in full view of staff and other patients while in another a woman is left crying in agony for hours, Channel 4 said.
The investigation also alleges poor hygiene and infection control practices within the emergency department as well as highlighting a makeshift ward lacking basic amenities like sinks and sufficient electrical outlets.
The programme highlights patients facing wait times exceeding four and a half hours in ambulance queues.
NHS England, responding to the documentary, said what was observed “is not commonplace in A&Es across the country and is not acceptable.”
A spokesperson for the Hospital Trust, said: “As with other hospitals, our Trust is facing significant challenges with urgent and emergency care. We understand our challenges and are investing in our services and making steady improvements as a Trust, as noted in our recent CQC report. However, there is still much more to do; we do not want to be in a position where we are caring for patients on corridors.
“We are very sorry that our patients have experienced anything less than the quality care we strive for, and we are determined, working with partners, to improve the care and experience for everyone. Our colleagues are working incredibly hard to maintain safe services and we are grateful for everything they are doing to support our patients in this difficult working environment.
“Whilst we dispute some of the claims made in the Dispatches programme, we will fully investigate all of the claims to identify and embed any learning into our continuous improvement work. We remain committed to being open and transparent with our patients and staff and encourage anyone with concerns to contact our PALS team.”
Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “I don’t think this is unique to this hospital by any stretch of the imagination.
“The things we’ve seen here today are clearly not just confined to winter. It was a year-round crisis in emergency care.
“Spending two days in an emergency department is worse than spending two days in an airport lounge. These are people who are sitting in uncomfortable seats where the lights never go off. There’s constant noise, there’s constant stress. There’s no end in sight.
“People will miss their routine medications. They’ll be next to people who can infect them with other diseases. It’s just not acceptable.”
Dispatches: Undercover A&E – NHS in Crisis is broadcast at 9pm this evenign on Channel 4. The program is followed by a debate hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy on how to fix the NHS.