"A & E"

My father (68yrs old, suffering with MS) was taken to hospital by ambulance at around 2:30pm with suspected stroke. He was wheeled into the corridor and left there for an hour before he could be put in an IAT bay. The department was full with many doctors and nurses doing the usual "look at me sat busy at a computer". My farther was then seen by a stroke nurse and a scan was advised and blood tests. This happened then he was returned to the bay, and told the doctor will return with the results. 5 hours past with no communication from any staff, after several attempts of asking nurses, that every so often passed the entrance to the bay, how long will the doctor be? The reply was the same each time... "I will find out for you!!" And guess what? They never did. At 8:30pm he was finally seen by the doctor and told the test results were clear!! When I asked what was wrong with him the doc said they didn't know but was happy to send him home with antibiotics!! As the wait for a bed on a ward was over 10 hours!! My father required an ambulance to return him home... this was ordered and said, there may be a slight wait but told my dad to get some sleep and he'd be home soon! I left my phone number and said could you phone me to let me know when he's being taken. They said it could be early hours of the morning but I said that's fine, I just want to know he's home. My father has carers who visit him, 4 times a day at home, and the hospital said he'd be home in time for their first call at 6am, so I didn't cancel (he gets charged if they turn up and he's not there) I lay awake most of the night waiting for the hospital to phone me, Nothing!! In the morning I phoned the hospital but obviously couldn't get through!! Even after several attempts. I contacted my dads carers and they informed me that he wasn't home for his morning call!! Shock horror!!! I am so upset that they could leave an almost 70 year old man, with MS, unable to walk or communicate clearly, leave him for 18hours with very little interaction in order to wait for transport home. Baring in mind he'd not eaten since lunch time the day before or had a drink, I could have got him something if known he could have eaten. I appreciate that A& E departments get busy but this was rediculous and unfortunately happens all the time!! I dread to think where he'd been left to wait when I left.