A WOMAN who waited more than 24 hours for treatment at a Bradford hospital fears she might have died in her seat.

Lauren Hunter, from Thornton, was admitted to Bradford Royal Infirmary’s (BRI) accident and emergency department with a suspected bleed in her stomach after being referred by her GP.

She was asked to wait in A&E and was initially seen by a trainee consultant.

Lauren, 37, said she was in so much pain sitting in the hospital’s plastic chair that she asked her husband, who was waiting alongside her, to go back to their home for a blanket and pillow to make her wait more bearable.

She was finally transferred to a hospital ward after a wait of more than 26 hours.

Lauren was examined by a consultant who confirmed she did not have a bleed, but an infection.

She was diagnosed with a kidney infection within half an hour and given a course of antibiotics. She has now fully recovered and has returned to work.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has apologised to Lauren for her long wait. 

She arrived at hospital at around 12.30pm on December 29 and was finally diagnosed at around 3pm the following day.

Lauren said: “It was horrendous. I have never, ever seen anything like it. It’s just awful.

“If I had had internal bleeding, I could have passed away in that waiting room and no one would have noticed. That could have happened if I didn’t have my husband with me.

“The doctors and nurses there were doing their best.

“It was not uncommon. I was talking to other people there who had been through the same.

“It’s upsetting and it’s worrying. Some people might not have been as lucky as me.”

A Trust spokesman said: “Our hospitals are extremely busy and we are seeing very high numbers of patients in our A&E department.

“We are also seeing increasing levels of patients being admitted with flu and Covid requiring isolation, we encourage everyone to get their vaccinations if they have not already done so.

“We have to prioritise our sickest patients and we sincerely apologise to Ms Hunter and anyone who has had a long wait for treatment or admission.

“People can help us help them by using NHS 111 online to get the advice and support they need if they are unwell but it’s not an emergency. For those unable to access online services, call NHS 111.”

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