No bed and no alarm system! (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

No bed and no alarm system!

Mark King who was left on a trolley for three days Picture Ref: 99247-18NURSES at Great Western Hospital gave a heart attack victim a brass bell to call for help.

Mark King, 38, of Wootton Bassett, thought staff were joking when they gave him the antique-style bell just like in the old days.

The former soldier was told that a bed space which comes with a modern alarm system was not available.

Instead, he was given a temporary bed and told to ring the bell in an emergency.

Mr King who served with the Royal Green Jackets in the 1980s discharged himself on Sunday because he was fed up with the conditions.

Tests carried out last Wednesday revealed that he had suffered a mild heart attack.

He was transferred to Mercury ward the next day, where he was squeezed into an already full room.

He was put in the middle of the ward which was already full.

"The room had four beds in it one in each corner," said Mr King.

"I was told that there was not a bed for me so they put me on a trolley and stuck me in the middle of the room at the foot of the other beds.

"I was not hooked up to the alarm system so they gave me a handheld bell to ring if I needed help.

"But I didn't want to ring it because I didn't want to wake up the other four guys in the room."

Mr King, who had major surgery last Easter after his first heart attack in April, did not have access to the hospital's entertainment system either, which includes a television.

"For three days I was staring up at the polystyrene ceiling," he said.

"The tiles didn't even have holes in them for me to count that might have made it more bearable."

Mr King, who was forced to quit his job in sales last May because of his health problems, discharged himself against medical advice.

He is now being looked after by wife, Tanya. "I couldn't take any more of the conditions," he said. "I am deemed to be at high risk of suffering a third heart attack.

"Whether they are trying to scare me I don't know but they said if I suffer another heart attack at home I would only have a one per cent chance of survival. To be given a brass bell is primitive but I do not blame the staff for this they do their best with what they have."

Chris Birdsall, spokesman for GWH, said he was unable to comment specifically on Mr King's case, due to reasons of patient confidentiality.

But he confirmed the hospital had not received a formal complaint from Mr King.

"We are disappointed that Mr King was unhappy with his stay in GWH," said Mr Birdsall.

"During the past week, the ward in question which is a specialist ward was extremely busy with a higher number of patients than usual.

"As patients on that ward receive specialist care, it is not appropriate to transfer them to other wards where there may be spare beds.

"Patients are also allocated beds on that ward according to clinical need.

"Patients in temporary beds unfortunately do not have access to the entertainment systems or the electronic nurse call system which is why we give them bells to call for assistance."

Mr King must now make an appointment with his GP so he can be referred to a heart consultant at the hospital.

Demand for explanation

A PATIENTS' group has demanded an explanation from hospital management.

The Great Western Hospital Patient and Public Involvement Forum makes suggestions to management.

And spokesman Nick Westbrook thinks Mr King should have been offered a bed space elsewhere in the hospital.

He said: "GWH is a brand new hospital with all the latest medical equipment so this is highly unusual.

"It is not satisfactory for a patient to spend three days on a temporary bed and to be given a bell to call for assistance. However, we do not know the background and we will be asking for an explanation."

Kevin Shoesmith