Hospital tells OAP, 83, with a broken arm she’s too OLD for treatment
HOSPITAL staff refused to treat an 83-year-old woman - because she was too OLD.
Susan Halbert fell over outside her home in Newton Mearns, Renfrewshire, and broke her arm in two places.
She was taken to Glasgow's New Victoria Hospital by paramedics but was told doctors wouldn't see her because she was over 65.
Mrs Halbert was then taken to A&E at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where she had to wait four hours before she was given a splint.
The pensioner, who still has a brace on her arm, said she has "never experienced anything like it".
'I was stunned'
She told the : "The paramedics were as stunned as I was. They even told me they had never heard of someone being too old for treatment before.
"I was very cross at the time because I was there with my arm broken in two places and there was this woman on reception who wasn’t even a doctor telling me I couldn’t go in.
"We are all people. Whether someone is one or 101, we all deserve to be treated the same and not like second-class citizens."
We are all people. Whether someone is one or 101, we all deserve to be treated the same and not like second-class citizens
Susan Halbert
The New Victoria has a minor injuries unit (MIU) which is equipped to deal with limb injuries.
Mrs Halbert has since received an apology from the health board, which claims there was some "confusion" following her fall in April.
A spokesman confirmed there is no upper age limit for patients at the hospital.
He added: "Our MIUs can treat cuts and grazes, insect bites, minor burns, sprains and strains and limb injuries such as a broken ankle.
"However, they are unable to treat more serious conditions such as complex fractures and this patient must have required to be seen in an accident and emergency department.
"We are sorry for any confusion around where this patient should have been sent and that she was unhappy with the care she received."
Health bosses said they'd happily meet with Mrs Halbert to discuss the incident in more detail.
It's not the first blunder to hit the NHS hospital.
MORE ON THE NHS CRISIS
In 2015, doctors failed to treat Ebola survivor Pauline Carrerkey when she attended the out-of-hours service complaining she felt unwell.
The nurse, who contracted the deadly infection while volunteering in Africa, was given an anti-sickness injection and sent home.
But her condition soon deteriorated and she had to be airlifted to the Royal Free Hospital in London for treatment.
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