I WOULD like to ask the pragmatic objective researcher ( C Townley, November 9 issue) who says he has looked carefully at all the facts, if he would like to come and explain them to my mother.

He says his heart tells him that the sooner someone gets to an A&E unit the better. I quite agree, the problems is that "sooner" may not be soon enough.

My 91-year-old mother recently suffered a broken collarbone. Our GP was at the scene within minutes, and was told she would need hospital treatment.

This is no longer available at Kidderminster - she would need to go to Ronkswood.

The doctor quickly wrote a letter for us to take to Worcester, and she telephoned for an ambulance, and was told they were sorry, but she couldn't go to Ronkswood as there was no room - anywhere in Worcestershire. How about Russells Hall? There was no problem there, and the ambulance would come in an hour to an hour-and-a-half.

How soon would you call that, Mr Townley?

When I arrived at Russell Halls A&E I asked for my mother and was told there was "no Mrs Lewis here". Twice her details were fed into the computer.

When I asked where else the ambulance could have taken her, I was told she could be in the corridor. She was - sitting in a wheelchair, in severe pain and totally confused.

I was told she should have registered - the ambulance only took her there. I ask you, at 91 years old, in pain and not knowing where she was!

I could fill this page with the following events, but suffice to say that after finding no beds anywhere at Russells Hall, mother was taken to a care home, but will only be allowed to stay there for seven days. What next?

KE LEWIS

Cookley

Name and address

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