A young woman has described her distress after witnessing an elderly patient die alone in a corridor at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd's A&E department. Nadia Wainwright, from Henllan, was at the Bodelwyddan hospital on Monday when her partner fell ill. She said the elderly woman died in full view of other patients, with no privacy and no one holding her hand.
Ms Wainwright told how the woman appeared to be in distress and making grunting noises, but staff walked past without attending to her. A paramedic eventually realised the woman had died and placed a blanket over her face. It took around five minutes for staff to respond. Ms Wainwright described the scene as 'extremely overcrowded', with patients in chairs and beds lining the corridors.
She said: 'No patient – especially an elderly and vulnerable person – should be left alone in a corridor in such circumstances.' Her mother had to assist another elderly woman in the department, emptying her catheter and calling her family. Ms Wainwright called on health board managers to spend time on the corridors to witness conditions firsthand.
Tremeirchion councillor Chris Evans said: 'There is no way that anybody should be dying in a corridor while staff are walking past.' Rhyl councillor Brian Jones described the incident as 'another horrific example of the flaws in A&E' at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
Angela Wood, the board's executive director of nursing and midwifery, said they could not comment on individual patient circumstances but acknowledged the incident would be 'deeply upsetting'. She added: 'Corridor care is not something we want for our patients.'
