Father calls for help – but nurses are too busy

Shocking footage has emerged of a nurse playing with another medic’s hair – while a critically ill father’s desperate calls for help went unanswered.

Alan Ford, who spent 15 days in intensive care fighting for his life, recorded the clip from his bed as he begged for extra fluids because he was dehydrated.

The father-of-two described the ordeal, which showed one nurse sitting behind the reception area appear to massage another’s head, as ‘out of order’.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, he explained how he thought he was going to die – and that on another occasion bungling doctors nearly cost him his life.

‘I wanted liquids,’ Mr Ford, 54, said of the moment recorded in his video. ‘I was dehydrated. I was fighting for my life.’

He was whisked into intensive care at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he stayed for 15 days as doctors fought to keep him alive. 

Doctors diagnosed him with a life-threatening embolism – a blocked artery caused by a foreign body, such as a blood clot – in his stomach.

The footage was handed to MailOnline following yesterday’s story about a nurse spotted ‘booking her holiday at a sunny beach resort’ while a patient waited ‘five hours’ to be seen.

The father-of-two described the ordeal, which showed one nurse sitting behind the reception area appear to massage another’s head, as ‘out of order’

Alan Ford, who spent 15 days in intensive care fighting for his life, recorded the horrific clip as he begged for extra fluids because he was dehydrated

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Mr Ford explained how he thought he was going to die

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Mr Ford explained how he thought he was going to die

Health chiefs at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, have since stated that the unnamed nurse was being ‘managed accordingly’.

Blackpool Victoria Hospital has yet to respond to MailOnline’s request for comment about the new clip. 

It comes amid claims of the NHS’ worst winter ever, with A&E waiting times, ambulance delays and bed occupancies shooting through the roof.

Furious doctors are up in arms over the ‘chronic under-funding’ of the health service, as the battle for more money is placed at the forefront of a political row.

Prime Minister Theresa May was forced to apologise after bosses controversially decided to cancel 55,000 operations to cope with the crisis two weeks ago.

A&E staff have also spoken of their grave concerns of the ‘battlefield’ conditions they have faced this winter, revealing they are ‘ashamed’ over the ‘substandard care’.

In the clip filmed by Mr Ford, the unnamed member of staff seems to be unaware of the life-threatening situation he could have been in.

Mr Ford, whose children are 31 and 30, was rushed to hospital on New Year’s Eve – a day after he was sent home by medics who thought there was nothing wrong.

'I wanted liquids,’ Mr Ford, 54, explained of the moment recorded in his video

He added: 'I was dehydrated. I was fighting for my life'

‘I wanted liquids,’ Mr Ford, 54, explained of the moment recorded in his video. ‘I was dehydrated. I was fighting for my life’

He was whisked into intensive care at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he stayed for 15 days as doctors fought to keep him alive

He was whisked into intensive care at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he stayed for 15 days as doctors fought to keep him alive

‘BEEN IN A&E FOR FIVE HOURS… MEANWHILE THE NURSE IS BOOKING HER HOLIDAYS’

A nurse at England’s worst performing A&E department was caught looking at beach holidays on her work computer by a furious patient, who claims she was waiting more than five hours to be seen. 

NHS bosses have confirmed the incident took place and have said the unnamed nurse was being ‘managed accordingly’.

The woman was snapped scrolling through pictures of sunny beach resorts while on the phone.

The image was taken at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, was shared on a community Facebook page. 

The nurse was slated online in the anonymous post shared by Spotted in Harlow.

The post read said: ‘Been in A&E for five hours… Meanwhile the nurse is booking her holidays.’

He told MailOnline: ‘The next thing I know, I’m in intensive care and have got four doctors around me, injecting me with God knows what else to keep me alive.’ 

The kitchen designer, from Manchester, was also struck down with flu in hospital, which doctors confirmed was the H3N2 strain – commonly known as ‘Aussie flu’. 

It left Mr Ford suffering from hallucinations – a symptom reported by dozens of other victims struck down by ‘Aussie flu’ this winter. 

During his treatment, medics gave him antibiotics to fight an infection – but he was allergic. He was also given enough steroids to ‘kill a donkey’.

The asthma sufferer told MailOnline: ‘At the end of the day, a couple of things went wrong. I’m allergic to antibiotics and I was nearly killed.

‘Another stage was when the top guy came in with his underling and b******* him for overloading me with steroids.’  

NHS England announced two weeks ago all non-urgent operations would be cancelled until February.

New data from NHS England shows the health service is operating at a poorer level than at the same point in 2016, which was branded a ‘humanitarian crisis’

PM WARNED PATIENTS ARE ‘DYING PREMATURELY’ IN CORRIDORS, LEAKED LETTER REVEALS

Furious A&E chiefs have warned Prime Minister Theresa May that patients are ‘dying prematurely’ in hospital corridors.

A leaked letter, written by the bosses of 60 casualty units, reveals there are ‘serious concerns’ about patient safety amid the NHS’ worst winter on record. 

Chiefs warned just 45 per cent of patients had been seen within four hours in some A&E units during last week – well below recommended levels.

The strongly-worded letter also revealed how levels were ‘never higher than 75 per cent’. The Government time-target is 95 per cent.   

Furious A&E chiefs have warned Prime Minister Theresa May that patients are 'dying prematurely' in hospital corridors

Furious A&E chiefs have warned Prime Minister Theresa May that patients are ‘dying prematurely’ in hospital corridors

Their revelation, seen by HSJ, mirrors figures released by NHS England today which showed waiting times have reached their worst on record.

Fears have been raised that the problems will only worsen, amid the rapid spread of flu which some expect to be the worst outbreak in 50 years.

Names on the scathing letter, dated yesterday, included some of the bosses of the biggest and busiest casualty units across the country.

They included: Cambridge University Hospitals, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, Kings College Hospital and Central Manchester University Hospitals. 

They warned the NHS is ‘chronically underfunded’ and not prepared for the winter onslaught, now considered to be the worst recorded in recent history.

The controversial move was slammed by experts, but was considered as the only way to cope with the mounting pressure placed on the health service. 

Damning figures released on Thursday highlighted how poor the NHS is performing this winter, with A&E waiting times hitting their highest on record. 

Just 85.1 per cent of patients were seen within the four-hour time target set by Government – equaling last January’s record low – which was branded a ‘humanitarian crisis’ by the Red Cross.

And more than 300,000 patients were forced to wait for at least four hours in all A&E units – the highest amount since figures began in 2010.

Ambulance delays have also risen to record proportions, with more than 5,000 patients left stuck in the back of the vehicles waiting to be transferred to A&E.

While bed occupancy levels have hit their worst point yet this winter, with 24 trusts declaring they had no free beds at some point last week, the figures showed.

The ‘disappointing’ figures have been escalating rapidly in the past few week, and are only expected to get worse by the end of the month.

Furious A&E chiefs wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May earlier this week to inform her that patients are ‘dying prematurely’ in hospital corridors.

A leaked letter, written by the bosses of 60 casualty units, revealed there are ‘serious concerns’ about patient safety amid the ongoing crisis.

Chiefs warned just 45 per cent of patients had been seen within four hours in some A&E units during last week – well below recommended levels.

Names on the scathing letter included some of the bosses of the biggest and busiest casualty units across the country.

And thousands of patients are being urged to get on ferries and the Eurostar to visit a hospital in Calais as the worst winter ever tightens its grip on the NHS.

Calais Hospital, ran in partnership with health chiefs in south Kent, has launched a campaign encouraging patients to make the trip across the Channel for ‘fast care’ 

The data shows that over 5,000 extra beds were brought into service to cope with demand

The data shows that over 5,000 extra beds were brought into service to cope with demand

THE ‘HUMANITARIAN CRISIS’ OF 2016 ON THE NHS 

The NHS endured its worst ever winter crisis, with waiting times, cancelled operations and bed-blocking running at, or near, record levels last year.

Official figures illustrated the scale of the scale of the turmoil to engulf the health service in the face of unprecedented pressures.

Bed-blocking due to a lack of social care places was at a record high with more than 2,500 health patients prevented from leaving hospitals each day – specifically because there is nowhere for them to go.

Statistics from NHS England report also revealed nearly 200,000 patients waited at least four hours in A&E between the winter months of December to February – a five-fold increase from just 41,000 five years previously.

Supporters of the NHS reacted in fury after the Red Cross claimed hospitals were facing a 'humanitarian crisis' after its worst week in 15 years

Supporters of the NHS reacted in fury after the Red Cross claimed hospitals were facing a ‘humanitarian crisis’ after its worst week in 15 years

Extreme waiting times also reached record levels, as nearly 2,000 patients were forced to wait at least 12 hours in A&E over the same period.

And cancer referral rates in February were at their second lowest level on record. 

Supporters of the NHS reacted in fury after the Red Cross claimed hospitals were facing a ‘humanitarian crisis’ after its worst winter in 15 years.

The charity said it stepped in to help the NHS in England to deal with the increased demand during the winter, but have been hit with criticism accusing them of overstating the issue.

It comes as it emerged that two patients died on trolleys in Worcestershire Royal Hospital’s accident and emergency department in January. 



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