A 92-YEAR-OLD woman had to wait for eight and a half hours to be treated at the accident and emergency department at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Her son, Callum Thomas, said the staff at the unit were amazing but they just did not have the resources to do their jobs.

Mr Thomas said: “My mum was taken in by ambulance on an emergency call at 1pm on Monday and A&E was full.

“My mum has dementia and she was sat in a chair in A&E for the majority of the time between getting assessed and doing tests.

“She was comfortable and not in any pain and is very patient, belonging to a generation who does not want to complain, but that’s not the point.”

Mr Thomas, of Ramsbottom, said the experience has convinced him more than ever that the NHS needs extra resources.

He said: “The system is creaking and the frontline staff are trying their best to reduce bed-blocking and dealing with people who could be leaving beds free so another person could take them.

“It was really gridlocked and the beds were full.

“When you get out of the A&E department it was so calm.

“One of the doctors had said it had been like that most of the week.

“It is not as though we are in the depths of winter – it will only get worse.”

Dr Georgina Robertson, clinical director for emergency medicine at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The pressures facing the emergency department and the wider health and care system remain extremely challenging and our staff continue to dedicate themselves to treating patients in very difficult circumstances.

“Monday November 25 was the one of busiest days we’ve had in the emergency department with 726 patients attending.

"In particular, the 507 patients who visited our urgent care centres was the highest single day attendance on record. We also saw a higher than expected number of poorly children with viruses.

“We urge the public to choose the most appropriate service for their needs.

"Urgent appointments can be accessed via a phone call to your GP surgery or NHS 111.

"However, we strongly advise people to save those GP appointments for those who really need them and use alternatives such as self-care, pharmacist, NHS 111, www.nhs.uk or the minor injuries units at Accrington Victoria Hospital and Rossendale Hub for more minor concerns.”