"As I write this comment, my 85 ..."

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As I write this comment, my 85 year old aunt, who has come into the QA for an operation for bowel cancer, has been sitting in a waiting room for 6 hours. She was told to arrive at the hospital this morning at 7.30 a.m., having eaten nothing at all after midnight. She is waiting, apparently, because there are no beds available for her. Why did no-one contact her before she left the comfort of her own home to delay her departure? She is stressed enough about her forthcoming operation - this is adding immeasurably to that stress and the whole situation is unacceptable.