Gran, 86, waits 25 hours in hospital corridor after heart attack - before giving up

An 86-year-old woman who had suffered a suspected heart attack waited 25 hours in a hospital corridor for a ward bed - before giving up and going home.

Maria Bodea, 86, had a suspected heart attack failure at home and was taken to St Helier Hospital, Sutton, London, by ambulance.

But there were no ward beds available and the gran-of-two was put on a trolley bed in a corridor with up to 20 others, her family say.

Widow Maria and her daughter Sanda Ghiurcusor, 57, were stationed next to a door leading outside, forcing them to wear wooly hats to keep warm.

A spokesperson for Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust said:
 
“While we always do our best for our patients, these are not the conditions we want to care for them in and we are really sorry that Mrs Bodea did not have a good experience.

“When our services are exceptionally busy, as they are at the moment, we sometimes have to care for people in other areas of the hospital until a suitable bed becomes available - this is always only a temporary measure and patients are supervised by clinical teams at all times.”