AN angina sufferer who was admitted to a Worcester hospital after suffering chronic chest pains had to spend the night on a trolley because there were not enough beds.
Mick Webster claims health care in Worcestershire is failing people because it cannot cope since Kidderminster Hospital's accident and emergency department closed.
Mr Webster was diagnosed with angina last March and has been taking tablets for the condition.
But on Sunday, February 4, he began suffering pain in his chest.
He was due to see a cardiac nurse the next day.
"When I arrived I was told the clinic appointment had been cancelled because the nurse was sick," said the 52-year-old, from Wolverley.
"She was contacted at home because I was in so much pain. She told me to go to my GP.
"I should've gone to Ronkswood Hospital on the Sunday but I really didn't want to go. But when I saw my GP he told me I needed to get over to Worcester."
Mr Webster arrived at Ronkswood A&E at 5pm on Monday, February 5, and was seen within 15 minutes.
A doctor then saw him in a cubicle at 7pm, followed by a nurse at 8.30pm and another doctor at 11pm.
"He told me he wanted to keep me in overnight," said Mr Webster.
"I asked him if he had any beds and he said yes."
But Mr Webster was later told to make himself comfortable because he would be spending the night on a cubicle trolley.
At 3.45am he was asked to move to another trolley in the medical admissions unit.
"It was quite unbelievable, really," he said.
"In the morning I could see the system at Worcester is failing.
"The staff are doing a great job. They're professional people but they can't cope.
"Closing Kidderminster A&E has put more pressure on them, left the people of Kiddermin-ster with a long journey to make and the people of Worcester without enough beds.
"Not only that, they didn't have any of my records and relied on me to tell what treatment I'd received. I just find the situation frightening."
A spokeswoman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust said Mr Webster was investigated to establish his medical needs.
"He was then admitted to the medical admissions unit where his condition was stabilised before he was able to return home," she said.
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