Pensioner petitions against hospital waiting times (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Clacton pensioner petitions against hospital waiting times

9:00am Saturday 15th September 2012 in News

A CAMPAIGNING pensioner has launched a petition to reduce hospital waiting times after making six hospital visits to give a three minute blood test.

Disabled Barbara Robinson, 73, of Great Clacton, waited over two hours to give a blood sample to test for anaemia on August 24. Queues of patients spilled out from the waiting room into the corridors and when the department closed at 2pm she had not been attended to, along with scores of other patients.

Mrs Robinson, who has had knee and hip replacements, said the story was the same when she visited again on August 28, 29, 30, and 31.

Mrs Robinson finally gave her blood sample on September 4 after a gruelling three hour wait.

She said it took three minutes to give the blood sample.

Now Mrs Robinson hopes to rally support from other disgruntled patients in the hope of reducing waiting times.

She said: “This has got to be sorted.

“I was furious about having to six times and wait for hours on end."

A spokesperson from Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, who run the clinic, said: “We apologise to Mrs Robinson for the delays she experienced at the phlebotomy clinic.

“We have experienced excessive demand, which has resulted in delays.