A FATHER-of-four has complained about the ‘dirty’ state of Royal Blackburn Hospital’s A&E after going there with his daughter.

Jason Crabtree, from Highercroft in Blackburn, has been to the hospital’s emergency department three times in the last week after his 14-year-old daughter Ashleigh injured her leg and foot.

During that time, he said a bed his daughter was seen on had ‘white dirt’ on it and that the A&E was ‘choc-a-bloc’ with people.

Mr Crabtree, of Silverdale Close, said: “She was on the bed in triage when I noticed it and I asked them what it was and they said it was white plaster.

“It looked like white dirt to me and whatever it was, it shouldn’t be there.

“It’s not what you expect in a hospital which should be a clean environment. It was disgusting.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

Mr Crabtree said his daughter bruised her leg and hurt the back of her foot on Tuesday after getting her foot stuck in a hole in some grass while walking down Fishmoor Drive near her home.

He said he went with her to A&E by taxi on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, where he said they had to wait hours to be seen.

He said: “On the Tuesday she went for an x-ray and we were waiting for hours to be seen and told there was no fracture.

“It was the same on Wednesday and Sunday and we kept going back as my daughter’s foot was swelling at the back and it looked like she had an infection.

“All they did was give her some antibiotics and bandaged her up.

“On the Wednesday, I phoned 111 and they said they would arrange for an ambulance, but the ambulance service phoned up to say we would have to wait two to three hours, so they sorted a taxi instead.”

Mr Crabtree said he wants to raise awareness about the conditions in the A&E.

He added: “It really was just chaotic and choc-a-block with people waiting in trolleys and on corridors.

“Something needs doing as people shouldn’t be waiting so long to be seen in A&E and then in dirt.”

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Chris Pearson, director of nursing at East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, said: “We respect our patients’ right to confidentiality, and are therefore unable to comment on individual cases. However, we are happy to liaise directly with the family regarding their concerns.

“We would urge the family to make contact with our customer relations team. This will enable us to investigate, and discuss their concerns, answering any questions they may have.”