'I was left for 21 hours': East Kent Hospitals Trust records third highest number of 12-hour corridor waits in England
We've been speaking to one women about her experiences
Last updated 14th Aug 2024
A women from Thanet was left waiting for 21 hours in a chair at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford.
It follows figures by NHS England that found East Kent Hospitals Trust had the third highest number of 12-hour corridor waits in England.
In July, over a thousand patients were left waiting half a day or more to be admitted to a ward.
Only the trusts in Birmingham and Sussex reported higher numbers.
Compared to the rest of the county, Medway (661), Dartford and Gravesham (149) and Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells (35), combined for just 845 waits.
Emily Bennet had an abscess last year and was waiting 21 hours for a room, she said: "I needed to stay overnight and asked if I could get a bad but they said it wasn't possible.
"I ended up just staying in the waiting room, with my feet on the chair. I got no sleep what so ever, all the lights were on with people going in and out the rooms.
"You just start dissociating, staring at the same four walls. I got to know the people in the room with me, talking to them, building a bond as they are going through the same experience.
"It was very scary as that was first experience in hospital and the first time i had to stay overnight which I would of preferred to stay in a bed but that shows what the situation is like."
In response, a spokesperson from East Kent Hospitals Trust said: “More than three quarters of all patients in our urgent and emergency care departments are currently being seen, treated and discharged or admitted within four hours, despite a rise in the number of patients requiring our care.
“The number of people spending more than 12 hours in our emergency departments has reduced each month for the last two months and we are doing more to tackle these extended waits.
“We apologise to those who have had a long wait. Our dedicated staff work incredibly hard to provide the best possible care and regularly review people who are waiting.”