A PENSIONER left writhing in agony dialled 999 from his hospital bed as there were no doctors to give him pain relief.
Martin Wild, 73, was admitted to the ward with a spinal infection last year.
Martin Wild was left writhing in agony and forced to dial 999 after no one answered his calls for painkillersMirrorpix
MirrorpixThe 73-year-old said he lost three and half stone over eight months[/caption]
But he was left lying in his own urine and abandoned for “months” – leaving one consultant to describe him as “the most neglected acute patient I have ever seen”.
Martin told The Mirror: “I asked for some pain relief. They said, ‘We’ve got no powers to prescribe [an opioid].’ I asked, ‘Can you get a doctor?’
“They said, ‘They’re busy with over 100 patients, you’re not a priority.’ I was in agony so I phoned 999.
“I was laying in bed for over a week before I saw a consultant. I could hear people shouting and screaming for help.”
Martin, from Manchester, was admitted to Salford Royal Hospital on May 8, 2023, after his spine became infected following an operation.
Not long after arriving, he found himself in agony and desperate for his Parkinson’s medication.
But despite desperate calls for help, no one came to his aid, so he dialled 999.
He was later discharged, despite telling staff he wasn’t well enough.
However, he was readmitted just days later “in so much pain” after two vertebrae “collapsed into each other”.
His wife Lorraine, a former nurse, said one horror incident during Martin’s eight month hospital ordeal saw three urine bottles put on his table next to his food.
She told the Independent: “One morning he spilled one and he was served breakfast and lunch while lying in a urine soaked bed.”
I was laying in bed for over a week before I saw a consultant. I could hear people shouting and screaming for help
Martin Wild
He was released home in January and said the first four months in hospital crushed his faith in the NHS after his health deteriorated.
He said: “I lost three and a half stone and had four ops.”
One member of staff said they had seen “dead patients looking better” than Martin.
Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, ruled that Martin had been caused “serious harm” and apologised.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it was “sorry for what he had to endure”.
When to call 999 for adults and children
You should call 999 in life-threatening emergencies.
For adults, this includes:
Signs of a heart attack (chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness, squeezing)
Signs of a stroke (face dropping on one side, unable to hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
Sudden confusion (doesn’t know own name)
Suicide attempt
Severe difficulty breathing (unable to speak, choking, gasping)
Choking
Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring, making a puddle)
Severe injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
Seizure
Sudden and rapid swelling (lips, mouth, throat, tongue)
For children, this includes:
Seizure
Choking
Difficulty breathing (grunting noises, stomach sucking under rib cage)
Unable to stay awake (can’t keep eyes open for more than a few seconds)
Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, tongue or lips
Limp and floppy (head falls to the side, backwards or forwards)
Heavy bleeding (spraying, pouring, making a puddle)
Severe injuries (after a serious accident or assault)
Signs of a stroke (face dropping on one side, unable to hold both arms up, difficulty speaking)
Sudden and rapid swelling (lips, mouth, throat, tongue)
Sudden confusion (agitation, odd behaviour, non-stop crying)
Source: NHS