Hospital sends home Luton woman with suspected sepsis as 'there's not enough beds'

A woman was turned away from a hospital after waiting in A&E for 12 hours because there weren’t enough beds, an angry family from Luton have claimed.

And they’ve even put in a formal complaint about the way she was treated by Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

They say the woman – who has Parkinson’s – was forced to wait four hours for an ambulance before spending a further 12 hours sitting in A&E with suspected sepsis.

The family – who do not wish to be named – claim she was then sent home because there were not enough beds.

A hospital spokesman said it was investigating the issues but that the hospital is still facing the challenge of high A&E attendance – along with other pressures.

The family also say the woman had to wait in a wheelchair and was forced to wear a mask even though her condition makes her exempt.

Her daughter said: "We were appalled and shocked at the way she was treated. It was heartbreaking to see so many other people who weren’t being seen either.”

The drama started on September 25 when the family’s mum, aged 50, was told by her GP she needed to go to hospital.

The family say they called for an ambulance at 3.42pm after their mum was diagnosed with suspected sepsis, a potentially life-threatening infection.

She was diagnosed with Parkinson's at the age of 30 and has had brain surgery and an implant – she also struggles with recurrent kidney infections and has difficulty swallowing.

Her daughter said: "I begged for a bed because my mum cannot sit down for a long period of time, she needs a bed as even at home she is normally lying down.”

She said they were told the tests had come back normal – and it was only later in a letter they found she had had a severe infection.

"We were told the NHS is under extreme pressure. It felt like she was just a number and was not given the treatment she needed.

"In terms of getting treatment, it’s the worst she has ever had.

"That day was a horrific experience, she doesn’t like going into the hospital normally and we are worried that when she needs treatment again she won’t want to go to hospital.

"A&E was full, with people standing and people queuing through the door. People were just not being seen.”

A spokesman for the L&D Hospital said: “At Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust we strive to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. We are sorry to hear that on this occasion the family were unhappy with the care provided.

“We take all feedback very seriously and are currently investigating the issues raised through our formal complaints process and will be in contact with the family and patient once the process has concluded.

“Our hospitals continue to face challenges with high emergency department attendances, an increase in Covid-19 cases and a high acuity of patients with complex medical needs. Our staff are working incredibly hard to assess and treat patients as quickly as possible.”