The pressures facing Royal Bolton Hospital, especially the A&E department, have been revealed to patients in a stark handwritten notice placed inside the waiting area.
The poster sized notice stated that patients faced 40-plus hour wait for a medical bed, that there were only six beds left throughout the whole hospital, and no cubicles or beds available in A&E.
And patients were warned in no uncertain terms that they would be waiting for numerous hours.
The notice stated: "We have no beds/cubicles in A&E due to no movement.
"If you are waiting for a ward, you will be in our waiting room for numerous hours.
"If you require food, drink, medication or wish to leave please go through to speak to medical staff through double doors by red chairs."
One Bolton resident told The Bolton News that she waited for 16 hours in the hospital.
Hamna Quereshi and her husband went to the hospital on Friday 22 July and were left waiting for a total of 16 hours before being given results.
She said she noticed the sign in the waiting area of the accident and emergency department at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
The sign was put up at 1.00am on July 22 and also stated: "Doctors 4-5 hours and minors 2-3 hours"
Hamna said there was a lot of people waiting, no empty chairs and a lady slept on the floor.
She said that the pressures facing the hospital made her feel 'really upset'.
Hamna said: "Me and my partner were thinking of doing a charity event to help.
"But we are sad to see our tax and national insurance not being passed to the very much needed NHS.
"There were tonnes of people at the A&E, there were no empty chairs and a lady was sleeping on the floor.
"Also lots of people standing.
"We were seen in two hours and then waited a further 14 hours to get the results, so 16 hours in total.
"The staff wasn't helpful at all or maybe they weren't able to cope with the situation."
Hamna and her husband are not the only people at the hospital who have seen major delays.
Craig Hardman, a patient with stage five kidney failure on dialysis, contacted The Bolton News and mentioned that on Monday, there were extensive waiting hours.
And another sign had been placed stating how long patients would wait.
It stated: 'majors, seven hours', which was crossed out to 4-5 hours, minors which was 30 minutes but crossed out to three hours, Bardoc GP which was one hour but crossed out to three hours and admission 25 hours which was crossed out to 31+ hours.
Craig said: "The hospital was terrible and the waiting hours were ridiculous, I feel so sorry for the A&E staff.
"People were lay on floors, beds queueing in corridors, no beds on wards and not a drink or food offered to those who waited and waited.
"Seventeen hours I waited for a bed and not once was I offered a drink or food.
"Thirty-one hours people had to wait for beds on wards from 29 hours, the staff were over worked and the hospital could not cope with the amount of people through its doors but continued to let people in.
"There was non-stop queueing all day from the door and it's just sad.
"It's just shocking, the staff are overworked but nobody said enough is enough, they just kept letting people in, that's the annoying part.
"They didn't divert anybody.
"I can't fault the nurses, they are amazing but nobody above them said enough is enough.
"The triage went pretty quickly but if you were admitted and needed a bed you had to wait.
"They asked me if I wanted to go home so I said well no I'm poorly, I have stage five kidney failure.
"I used to take my hat off to Bolton Hospital but this time it was diabolical."
Rae Wheatcroft, chief operating officer at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We continue to be very busy and our staff are working extremely hard to ensure all of our patients get the care they need safely, effectively and as quickly as possible.
Royal Bolton Hospital: Man waits 26 hours in A&E for bed
“However it is clear that the amount of time some people have to wait for care is not acceptable, so we continue to do everything we can to get people home safely, get people who need care into a suitable bed as soon as possible, and minimise the time for those waiting for minor treatment.
“We are still here and available for those who need us and encourage those who require urgent medical help to continue to come forward.
“Please use NHS 111 online before accessing NHS services to find the most appropriate place for your needs."
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