A HOSPITAL patient claims she was left waiting hours for a bed at Colchester Hospital after being taken ill with a painful stomach condition.

Angela Holland, aged 56, called an ambulance on Monday while she was on holiday in St Osyth after being left in agony.

Ms Holland was suffering from a major fluid build-up in her abdomen caused by a liver problem.

After being advised to go to A&E, she made the half an hour trip to the hospital in Turner Road. 

After arriving at 9pm, Ms Holland says she waited overnight before being moved to a hospital ward.

She says she was still waiting for a routine stomach procedure on Thursday.

Ms Holland, from Thurrock, said: “I needed my stomach drained and they’ve been giving me paracetamol, painkillers, and lactose – I could have stayed at home and done all that.

“It’s abysmal, absolutely abysmal.”

Ms Holland also claims she was left waiting on a trolley in a hospital corridor after arriving at the hospital on Monday.

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She added: “I was moved from bay to bay and was eventually put in the corridor.”

Dr Angela Tillet, chief medical officer for the East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, apologised to Ms Holland and said the trust was experiencing high demand for its services.

She said: “We were very sorry to hear about Ms Holland’s concerns – we are working hard to respond to the high demand for our A&E services and deliver the best possible care.

“We continually assess and prioritise each patient clinically, which means those with the most urgent needs, and who are very sick, are seen first.

“This does mean some patients are waiting longer for care and treatment than we would like them to, and we apologise to anyone who has had a long wait.

“The team caring for Ms Holland are doing everything they can to make sure she receives her treatment as quickly as possible.”

Last month the Gazette reported how patients at the accident and emergency department endured waits of up to 16 hours amid "challenging pressures" including a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.