JOHN Ridgway's criticism (May 31) of the Bolton Evening News report "11 hours waiting time for a hospital bed" is unjustified, and shows his total lack of understanding of the true state of our hospital.
The report did not give a grossly unfair impression of the hospital and his letter only serves to mislead the public again.
He was fortunate to have gone to A&E in the morning, the quietest time, and yet he still considers it acceptable that he should have had to wait all day for a bed. He is lucky that he was not seriously ill.
If he had arrived late afternoon or in the evening when it is regularly packed with patients, he would have seen a different picture and would probably have had to wait until the middle of the night for a bed.
The bed shortage for A&E patients also has a knock-on effect in that it delays patients referred by their GPs from getting a bed.
It is disgraceful that the management has written to GPs telling them not to send patients to the hospital. In those cases where it is necessary for a patient to be admitted, it is unacceptable that they should have to wait any time at all.
His final statement that the Government has no targets is also untrue. It is simply because the hospital is underfunded by the Government and has to meet their targets that the hospital is in such a mess.
The people of Bolton have put this failed Government back in power. If they ever have to depend upon the hospital, they will soon see the error of their ways.
(Name and address supplied)
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