UK NEWS

CAUGHT ON THE HOP

ROUGH TREATMENT: Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

Monday March 31,2008

By Mark Howarth

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A MAN who arrived at a hospital in agony after tearing a calf muscle had to hop from the car park because porters claimed they weren’t insured to help him.

Andrew Bowman was charged wheelchair hire and laughed at as he struggled to get into Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (ERI).

He finally discharged himself because he was warned he’d have to wait six hours to be seen, and he couldn’t afford the car park charges.

Building site manager Andrew, 39, a father-of-one from Crook of Devon, Kinross-shire, said: “No one would lift a finger to help me. I had to hop from the car park because a porter said he wasn’t insured to help me.

“Then I was charged £1 for a wheelchair, which the porters refused to push.

“I had to go backwards so I didn’t mangle my leg, and there was a group of them watching and having a laugh at my expense. When I got to Accident and Emergency, a nurse took the wheelchair off me because they’d run short. I couldn’t even get a cup of tea because the staff wouldn’t give me change.”

Andrew was finally found some crutches by fellow patients who took pity on him after seeing how he was treated.

Now he’s sent a letter of complaint to NHS Lothian about his ordeal two weeks ago.

He said: “After waiting for around three hours, I was told it would be another three before I was seen by a doctor, so I just left. With the parking charges, I couldn’t afford to get my free NHS treatment. I went to the Queen Margaret hospital in Dunfermline instead.”

Anthony Halperim, chairman of pressure group the Patients’ Association, said: “The National Health Service is supposed to deliver health services. It’s in no one’s interests for staff to have to conform to the sort of petty health and safety regulations which apparently stopped porters helping this patient.

“The hospital should have a good look at its practices, because they would appear to be interfering with the delivery of treatment. We ought to remember this is a hospital, not a supermarket, and for someone to be charged for using a wheelchair beggars belief.”

A spokesman for ERI refused to discuss the allegations or hospital policies, but confirmed the claims would be investigated.

He said: “This patient’s account of events is at odds with our official records and staff statements, and we look forward to Mr Bowman making a formal complaint so we can discuss this with him in person.”

CAUGHT ON THE HOP

01.04.08, 12:17pm

April Fool I reckon???

• Posted by: JeanP • Report Comment

CAUGHT ON THE HOP

01.04.08, 11:11am

We need a Royal Commission on the NHS. Who cares who owns/operates the hospital when they need treatment. It should be timely, effective and free at the point of use.

• Posted by: JohnnyB • Report Comment