Scenes that were unimaginable until recently in England have now become commonplace. Hospitals are working beyond their capacity, patients are treated in hospital corridors, waiting rooms or behind ambulances instead of examination rooms, and worse yet, they cannot reach the doctor at all.
The Condition Of The Hospitals is Dire
Speaking to CNN, a National Health Service (NHS) official said that hospitals have turned into a 'battlefield', while official data from the country confirms the pessimistic picture.
- 54,000 people admitted to hospital in England in December had to wait more than 12 hours for admission to the emergency room.
- The average waiting time for ambulances to respond to emergencies such as stroke and heart attack exceeded 90 minutes.
According to official data from the NHS, only two-thirds of hospital appointments in the UK are made face-to-face. About 7.4 million British citizens could only talk to doctors over the phone.
News from the British Press
In the British press, it is possible to see the news of someone who lost his life because he could not reach the doctor every day or because the ambulance they called was delayed.
However, today's news has revealed that the problem in health and social services is much older and is now out of control.
Her Body Was Found Mummified Three Years Later
It was revealed that a woman with schizophrenia who died in her apartment in Surrey, England, was found "mummified and almost completely skeletonized" three years later.
Her family claims that 38-year-old Laura Winham was "left for dead" by the National Health Service (NHS) and social services agencies.
It was stated that the body of the woman, who was thought to have died in November 2017, was found by her brother in May 2021.
Surrey County Council said it was an "extremely tragic case" and will inform the investigation into the death.
Her family stated that their daughter was referred by a mental health institution and family doctor on the grounds that she had "untreated mental health problems", but was not followed up afterwards.
After the police visit to Laura Wingham's home in October 2017, which was supposed to be her last seen before her death, they wrote to the city council that she was "neglect of herself, has little food and is unaware of how to get help".
"I Need Help"
Shortly after this visit, Winham's notes on her calendar ended, and one of the last notes was said to be "I need help".
Laura Wingham's sister, Nicky, stated that "despite the warning signs, everyone is ignoring it", indicating that her mental health is deteriorating.
Iftikhar Manzoor, the family's lawyer, said: "Laura was referred to social services twice. One by the police in 2014 and the other in 2017. Her needs were not assessed. These were undoubtedly missed opportunities for intervention."