A 93-YEAR-OLD woman spent two hours strapped to a bed in an ambulance waiting outside Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

Frail Winifred Gibbs was left in the ambulance while queues formed outside the hospital's accident and emergency department.

Mrs Gibbs had a fall at home in Marlborough two weeks ago and recently suffered complications.

Her granddaughter-in-law, Karen Smith, of Wroughton, said: "Her doctor decided she needed to go to hospital and he called an ambulance. That was at about 6.30pm.

"It came at 8.45pm and the ambulance crew said the acute assessment unit was closed and they were queuing to get into accident and emergency.

"She arrived at GWH at 9.30pm and she was queuing until 11.30pm. There were seven ambulances out there at one point.

"The ambulance crew was fantastic and she was made comfortable, but that's not the point.

"She was fidgety and upset. She is slightly confused anyway but this was confusing for her. She was strapped into a bed for two hours. She has sores and was uncomfortable being in the same position for so long."

The delay happened on Friday. Karen went to the hospital to make sure Mrs Gibbs was okay. She said: "I was upset for her. There was nothing I could do but sit and chat and keep her amused. This just isn't acceptable and makes me angry."

An ambulance paramedic, who did not want to be named, said: "This doesn't surprise me. It was an absolute nightmare on Friday. GWH has been so full in the last month and there were no beds available on Friday.

"The senior sister was assessing patients in the ambulances but the nurses at casualty are really good we hardly ever have to queue."

A spokesman for the Great Western Hospital said: "We have not had an official complaint but last Friday was unusually busy with 88 people attending casualty between 4pm and midnight.

"Twenty-eight of those were so ill or injured they had to be admitted. Again, a higher than average number, "To compound matters our acute assessment unit, where some emergency patients would normally go, was closed due to the diarrhoea and vomiting bug. On the rare occasions we do have ambulances queuing there are times when it is in the best interests of the patient to stay with the ambulance crew until they can be admitted to the emergency department.

"All such patients are assessed on arrival and regularly monitored. It was very busy throughout last week and staff responded magnificently, ensuring patients received the care they needed."

A spokeswoman for the Great Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: "From time to time we do get ambulances queuing at hospitals.

"Obviously we have to wait with our patients until there is a member of staff at the hospital available.

"The hospital was just very busy that night. When there are a lot of people in we have to do the best job we can.

"If we get another call in that area we obviously would send the nearest available ambulance.

"We don't have cases where they are all queuing up. We make sure there are available ambulances located in areas where we are likely to get the most demand."

Last week four wards at the hospital were closed due to the viral gastroenteritis bug, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea. Now only one ward is affected and staff anticipate that all wards will be open by tomorrow unless there is a new outbreak.