"9 hour wait"

My mum was referred to LRI for skin melanoma removal. We had a call on the Tuesday afternoon to say that they wanted her in as an emergency and that we had to be there at 0730 the following morning. We have a 2 hour drive which meant all of us including my 86 year old mum getting up at 4am. Arrived on time and all going well initially - checks done and surgeon seen by 0900 - then nothing. She was told by the surgeon that she was 2nd on the list and would be down by lunchtime. The nurses on the admission ward were extremely polite and helpful but despite them trying many times they could get no information from theatre as to what was happening and when she would likely to be going down. At 430pm when everyone else had been seen and we were the last ones sat around we were told that it would be at least another hour before her surgery!! This was the breaking point for us and we walked out and started a 2 hour drive home! This is beyond not acceptable, no-one should have to wait that long, least of all an 86 year old, without any updated information. I appreciate that operations can take longer than planned and that things change but what does it take to just be given regular updates. What was the emergency if we can be put to the end of the date, why couldn't we have gone in after lunch? This was our first experience of LRI and not one I want to repeat in a hurry. We have been given another date in a weeks time but I am having to think long and hard whether I want to put my mum through it again.