“Harrowing” footage reveals the moment a man was forced to urinate into a bottle in a corridor in front of staff and other patients.
Undercover videos taken by an undercover reporter show the “deeply unwell” man lying in the corridor of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Emergency Department.
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The man tells hospital staff he desperately needs to go to the bathroom before being told it would be easier for him to pee in a cup.
The patient agrees before being helped to lift his gown and urinate “naked in front of 30 people.”
On camera, undercover reporter Robbie Boyd tells the man, “I’m sorry you’re in the hallway.
“We have people having to go to the bathroom in public in the hallway.
“It’s not okay. If it was a member of my family, I would be furious.”
I think I’m at risk of being forgotten here and I don’t really know what’s going on
Unknown patient
In the previous footage, the distressed man calls out to Robbie, who is passing by, and says: “I’m really happy to speak to someone.
“I think I’m at risk of being forgotten here and I don’t really know what’s going on.
“I don’t think people know why I’m here.”
On another shift, a patient was left crying in agony for hours while waiting to receive care in the ambulance queue.
Almost 19,000 National Health Service patients were left waiting in the emergency room for three days over a 12-month period, the Channel 4 investigation revealed.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, almost 400,000 people waited more than 24 hours in A&E departments – a five per cent increase on the previous year.
‘SO INDIGNIFIED’
The program also found that 54,000 people had to wait more than two days, according to a freedom of information request to NHS England.
Recalling the tragic event, Dispatches reporter Robbie added: “I’m so angry now because having to pee naked in a bottle in front of 30 people is so undignified.
“They’re trying to be so nice and not trying to be a bother, and everyone’s like, ‘I’m being a bother.’
“I’m like, ‘No, you look so bad. You shouldn’t be the one to apologize.'”
The investigation exposed “the suffering and indignity faced by patients on a daily basis” after Robbie secretly filmed himself working as a trainee healthcare assistant in the emergency department on Channel 4’s Dispatches.
The “harrowing” scenes from the hospital’s emergency department emerged when a think tank analyst said people were dying in emergency care in England “who don’t need to be dying”.
When calling 111, see your family doctor or go to the emergency room
NHS 111 can help if you think you need medical help right now but aren’t sure what to do.
Someone will also be able to tell you where the best place to get help is if you can’t get in touch with your GP or their practice is closed.
You can get help from NHS 111:
- Using 111 online
- On the NHS app
- When calling 111
When to see or speak to a family doctor
If your needs are less urgent, contact your GP or visit your local pharmacist.
A scheme called Pharmacy First means you can visit your local pharmacy for the following conditions instead of going to your GP:
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Earache
- Infected insect bites
- Impetigo
- Copper
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women under 65 years of age
When to go to an accident and emergency
The emergency room is only for serious injuries and life-threatening emergencies.
If you are an adult, call 999 or go to A&E if you have:
- Signs of a heart attack: chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or tightness in the chest
- Signs of a stroke: face drooping to one side, unable to keep both arms up, difficulty speaking
- Sudden confusion (delirium): cannot be sure of own name or age
- Suicide attempt: catching something or getting hurt
- Severe difficulty breathing: not being able to pronounce words, choking or panting
- Suffocating: in liquids or solids now
- Heavy bleeding: to spray, pour, or enough to make a puddle
- Serious injuries: after a serious accident or assault
- Seizure (adjustment): tremors or spasms due to an attack or unconscious (cannot be woken up)
- Sudden and rapid swelling: of the lips, mouth, throat, or tongue
For children, the emergency signs may be a little different.
Go to the emergency room if a child has any of the following:
- Seizure (adjustment): tremors or spasms due to an attack or unconscious (cannot be woken up)
- Suffocating: in liquids or solids now
- Difficulty breathing: making grunting noises or sucking in the stomach under the rib cage
- Unable to stay awake: cannot keep eyes open for more than a few seconds
- Blue, gray, pale, or mottled skin, tongue, or lips: brown or black skin, gray or blue palms or soles
- Soft and flexible: the head falls to the side, backwards or forwards
- Heavy bleeding: to spray, pour, or enough to make a puddle
- Serious injuries: after a serious accident or assault
- Signs of a stroke: face drooping to one side, unable to keep both arms up, difficulty speaking
- Rapid and sudden swelling: of the lips, mouth, throat, or tongue
- Sudden confusion: agitation, strange behavior, or non-stop crying
Source: SNS
IT IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THIS HOSPITAL
Last week, the hospital declared a “critical incident” after high demand left it overwhelmed.
The images showed a patient waiting 30 hours in an area “suitable for sitting”, while a suspected stroke patient remained there for 24 hours, the broadcaster said.
Dr Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “I don’t think this is unique to this hospital, not by a long shot.
“The things we saw here today are clearly not just limited to winter. It was a year-round crisis in emergency care.
“Spending two days in an emergency room is worse than spending two days in an airport lounge.
“These are people sitting in uncomfortable seats, where the lights never go out.
“There’s constant noise, there’s constant stress. There is no end in sight.”
A total of 18,638 people waited more than three days in the emergency department during the period, a 60% increase on the previous 12 months.
‘I AM REALLY SORRY’
A Hospital Trust spokesperson said: “As with other hospitals, our Trust faces significant challenges with urgent and emergency care.
“However, there is still much more to do; We don’t want to be in a position where we are caring for patients in hallways.
“We are very sorry that our patients have experienced anything less than the quality care we seek and we are determined, working with partners, to improve the care and experience for everyone.”
The spokesperson added that while the trust disputed some of the claims made in the Dispatches program, it would “thoroughly investigate all claims to identify and incorporate any learnings into our continuous improvement work”.
The latest figures show that more than one in four people waited longer than the four-hour target in the emergency room, according to the King’s Fund.
Patients wait an average of 33 minutes for an ambulance in emergency cases such as strokes and heart attacks, when the target is 18 minutes, the thinktank added.
Undercover A&E: NHS in Crisis – Dispatches – airs on Channel 4 at 9pm Monday.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
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