IN 1999, my father-in-law, who was 92 years old at the time, was admitted into Bolton Royal with a suspected heart attack.

He was kept on a trolley for nearly nine hours in A&E waiting for a bed to become available.

Eventually, he was taken to a ward and was kept in for a few days observation.

In this time, he was found during visiting hours wandering in the corridors wearing just the top part of his pyjamas.

The staff at the time thought this was great fun and delighted in telling my husband and I this tale and how they thought he was a great chap who was very funny, especially when he threw one of his slippers out of the window.

We dismissed this incident at the time because we had enough to worry about with him being so ill.

We would not be so quick to dismiss it now.

Some people would like to believe that all that is happening at the Bolton Royal is just recent, and is being blamed on cutbacks etc, but they need to realise that this has been going on for years and no one seems to be doing anything about it.

It’s about time that a dedicated team who really care for the welfare of patients was set up to monitor the situation and make sure that all patients get the proper care they are entitled to get.

Sure, there are staff who care for the patients. These people should stand up and be counted and do something about the dismal state of this hospital.

Until then, it will be up to the public and the press to do the reporting.

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