A 70-year-old man who had an infection following a surgical procedure was left to sit in a chair at Ipswich Hospital for around 16-hours due to no beds being available.
Martin Chambers, from Thorndon, near Eye, was admitted to Ipswich Hospital on March 10 after he was referred to the surgical assessment unit, the Sproughton Ward, by doctors at Mendlesham health centre.
Mr Chambers underwent a surgical procedure on March 3 at Ipswich Hospital to remove skin cancer from his back, but this became infected.
On arriving at around 6.30pm to 6.45pm, he was told he would be seen and would need to stay overnight, with staff telling him that he would have a bed but it could be anywhere in the hospital, but this never materialised.
This meant that Mr Chambers spent the next 16-hours from the time he arrived at the hospital, to just after midday the following day, in a chair.
He said: "I couldn't believe how busy it was on the ward.
"I was shocked frankly. Every seat in the waiting area was full and my wife who brought me in sat in a seat downstairs in the corridor due to the lack of space.
"The first night was a nightmare. We were told they would need to keep me in overnight and they would seek a bed, but it could be anywhere.
"In the end, no bed became available so I slept in a chair. They did, however, assign me to a curtained-off area beside the waiting area with a more comfortable seat.
"There were three or four others also sleeping in chairs in the same area.
"I was shocked by the lack of space and facilities. We keep hearing how overcrowded hospitals are, but you don't realise how bad it is until you experience it."
Mr Chambers was quick to note that it wasn't the fault of the staff on the ward who "worked their socks off".
He said: "The staff have been wonderful though - they are working in really cramped and difficult conditions. I don't know how they put up with it.
"The nursing staff have been really helpful. It seems like they waste a lot of their time making a tough time seem a lot better with lots of waiting and trying to fit so many people into this cramped space.
"The fact is there are not enough beds, not by a long shot, and that's why I had to wait for so long."
Mr Chambers was in hospital for two days, with one night sleeping on a chair before being moved to a bed for the second night and being discharged the following day.
Catherine Morgan is the chief nurse at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT).
She said: "When patients arrive at our hospitals for urgent care, they are triaged by our staff to be treated through the most appropriate route for their needs.
“In some situations, and to avoid a delay to treatment, this will begin before a patient has been admitted to a bed, and this may mean they’re treated while waiting in one of our specialist clinical chairs.
"Then, as soon as a bed is available, the patient will be moved to a ward or area to continue their treatment.
“As always, we welcome feedback from patients and families regarding their care, and our dedicated Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team is happy to listen to concerns raised by the patient or their family and liaise with their clinical team."
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