Elderly Patient's 12-Hour Ordeal in Overwhelmed A&E
An 83-year-old grandfather from Torrance near Glasgow was forced to lie on a camp bed in a hospital emergency department during what his family described as a 'shameful' 12-hour wait for medical attention. George Morris, a retired training manager, began shivering and shaking as his health deteriorated during the lengthy wait to see overwhelmed doctors at Hairmyres Hospital in North Lanarkshire.
Family's Desperate Measures
The pensioner had been referred to hospital for urgent blood tests by his GP last Sunday amid concerns he had a severe infection and potential heart problems. After spending hours sitting on uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting room, his distressed relatives took matters into their own hands. They brought a camp bed to the hospital in a desperate attempt to provide some comfort for the ailing grandfather-of-three.
This represented Mr Morris's second hospital visit within ten days. The previous week, he had endured nearly 20 hours waiting on a chair at Glasgow Royal Infirmary for the same infection, making his latest ordeal even more distressing for the family.
Chaotic Scene Described as 'Disaster Film'
Daughter Claire Leckie, 53, who accompanied her father to Hairmyres Hospital, described scenes of chaos upon their arrival around 8pm. 'When we arrived it was like something out of a disaster film,' she recalled. 'There were people queuing out the doors and standing up against the walls because there were no seats.'
The secondary school teacher managed to secure a wheelchair for her father initially, but he couldn't sit comfortably and continued shivering uncontrollably. After an initial blood pressure and temperature check around 10pm, they were returned to the overcrowded waiting room. As her father's condition worsened, Ms Leckie asked her sister to bring the camp bed since the elderly man could no longer remain seated.
'He was shaking so much they weren't able to get blood from him, we had to hold him still,' Ms Leckie explained. 'They said we had to wait for it to be analysed and the waiting time had gone up to 14 hours. Dad was so unwell.'
Political Challenge and Official Responses
The furious family has now directly challenged First Minister John Swinney over the state of Scotland's NHS. Ms Leckie challenged the First Minister to experience an A&E waiting room overnight himself, stating her father's experience reflects the health system's critical condition.
'I took this picture because it could be anybody – anybody's grandpa, dad, mum... This is the face of the NHS,' she said. 'John Swinney needs to see for himself. As a family we feel very strongly that we don't want our experience to turn into a political football. I really don't care who's in charge. It's not about that. It's about showing what is happening to people.'
She praised frontline staff, noting 'the staff there are working their socks off to keep people comfortable, but the nurses and the doctors are frazzled.' The family contacted their local MSP who responded by mentioning £22 million investment in the NHS, but Ms Leckie questioned when tangible improvements would reach patients.
Scottish Labour's health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie called the situation 'a heartbreaking and utterly shameful story,' while Scottish Tories health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane described it as 'a national disgrace.'
Lise Axford, chief of nursing services at University Hospital Hairmyres, offered sincere apologies to Mr Morris and his family for the extended wait. She acknowledged NHS Lanarkshire's emergency departments were experiencing 'sustained pressure with exceptionally high numbers of people attending A&E, resulting in longer waits for patients.'
