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Patient Quits Hospital A&E to Ease Staff Burden
2 Jul
Summary
- Survivor discharged himself to ease pressure on A&E.
- Eight-hour wait for treatment during critical incident.
- Hospital apologizes for long wait times due to demand.
A heart attack survivor opted to leave Addenbrooke's Hospital's A&E department to alleviate pressure on staff during a period of high demand. Chris Boulton, 67, arrived by ambulance on Monday evening experiencing chest pains and waited for eight hours without being seen.
Boulton, who has a history of heart attacks, decided to self-discharge, stating he wanted to be one less patient to ease the strain. The Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust acknowledged the long wait times, explaining they were managing a critical incident from Tuesday to Wednesday due to exceptionally high demand.
After his initial ambulance assessment and a scan upon arrival, Boulton received an X-ray approximately eight hours later. This scan appeared similar to one he had previously, contributing to his decision to leave the hospital before further assessment.
