Former MP David Blunkett's experience of 'beleaguered' in Sheffield triggers reaction from patients

David Blunkett, a former city MP for Labour between 1987 to 2015 and who was also Home Secretary, told how his wife, Margaret, had to wait four-and-a-half hours to be admitted to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital.

Writing in The Mail on Sunday at the weekend, Mr Blunkett described how his wife had been suffering with a chest infection between Christmas and New Year before she deteriorated and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

He said: “the state of our beleaguered health service really became apparent”. He added “Margaret was stuck - along with half a dozen more ambulances waiting to discharge poorly passengers. It took four-and-a-half hours before she was admitted.”

Mr Blunkett, who is now a member of the House of Lords, said: “We are coming to accept long and often frightening delays before an ambulance arrives. Traumatic waits outside hospitals are now routine.”

He said reform is needed “because the whole health system is now collapsing about our ears”.

Kirsten Major, chief executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said in response to Mr Blunkett: “We have been exceptionally busy for the past few weeks and our staff have been working tirelessly across the whole of our services to manage the demand and provide the care required.”

Mrs Major apologised to Lord Blunkett’s wife and the other patients for the long wait experienced. She added how Sheffield hospitals have been dealing with the pressure by opening additional beds, working with the council and changing the way they receive emergency patients.

She added: “We are equally not happy that our waiting times are longer than we would normally expect but can assure the public and patients that there is not one person in the Trust not working flat out to do the best to manage this challenging situation.”

Mr Blunkett’s comments triggered a number of comments from Star readers.

Guy Atkinson shared his own experience with the NHS. “Spent about 12 hours in Northern General A&E earlier in the year with a friend after they collapsed at work, only for them to be sent to the wrong department at Hallamshire and then sent home at 2 am. During that time the most senior person they saw was a foundation year junior doctor and a whole bunch of very obviously stressed and overworked nurses.”

Julie Townsend spoke of her 12-hour wait at A&E at the Northern General Hospital.

“The NHS is in total crisis but nothing gets done, this has been going on for years now and it’s disgusting,” she said.

Similarly, Sylvia Bray said: “I had to wait for the same time under Labour. Plus I was still left on a trolley for hours in a drafty corridor. Nothing changes.”

Lynn Pearson said: “4.5 (hours) that's good I was 10 hours in A&E, Dark when I went in, light when I left. My head injury had almost healed itself.”