Grandmother, 84, with pneumonia left in hospital corridor for 25 HOURS on one of the decade's coldest nights

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:03 PM on 14th December 2010

An 84-year-old grandmother with pneumonia was left for 25 hours in a hospital corridor on one of the coldest nights of the decade.
With outside temperatures dropping as low as minus 10 doctors at University Hospital of North Staffordshire were forced to hand out extra blankets.
Despite this Mary Bowers, who was suffering from a chest infection, was kept in a 'cold and draughty' corridor on a trolley from 5pm on Monday December 6 to 6.30pm the next day.

Mary Bowers, 84, pictured in her hospital trolley. Her daughter said her mother had been in tears after being kept in a draughty corridor for 25 hours

Hospital officials at the under-fire facility - which is under investigation following higher than average patient deaths - have now issued a full apology to the mother of eight.
They blamed the long wait on increased admissions, staff sickness, and the Norovirus sickness bug shutting down wards.
Daughter Joyce Woolley, 54, from Fenton, Staffordshire said: 'It was so cold in the corridor that I kept my coat and boots on while I sat in a chair next to mum's trolley.
'She was wearing a nightie with just a thin blanket covering her and at about 2.30am a doctor gave out extra blankets.
'We kept being told there were no free beds. Mum spent much of the time crying and so I asked staff if they could give me the medication she needed so I could take her home, but they said she had to stay.'

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Mary's son Billy Bowers, 43, from Hanley, Staffordshire, said: 'Mum's care was disgusting. The corridor was already cold enough, but her trolley was next to automatic doors which kept opening causing a constant draught.
'All the patients in the corridor were very ill and it took ages to get help because all the staff were trying to cope with new people coming in.
'We were speaking up for mum, so I pity some of the old folk who had no-one with them.'
Chief operating officer Mark Mould, at University Hospital of North Staffordshire, said: 'I have personally offered our sincere apologies to Mrs Bowers and her family for the length of time she stayed in the emergency department.
'The department has been very busy. The situation was difficult because a bigger proportion of patients than normal required admission. This was coupled with staff sickness in the department and Norovirus, which had closed four wards.'