Shocking conditions reported inside Tameside Hospital A&E

Concerns have been raised this week about the state of Tameside Hospital’s Accident & Emergency department, with families describing scenes of overcrowding, unsafe conditions and serious lapses in cleanliness, despite the unit having undergone refurbishment last year.

Patients and relatives have reported that the updated layout includes corridors so narrow that they become quickly congested. According to witnesses, patients are left in these corridors on beds or in wheelchairs for extended periods, creating what some describe as a “significant fire hazard” as staff and visitors struggle to pass.

One family member told the Tameside Reporter that pools of blood had been left uncleaned for hours at a time, raising urgent questions about hygiene standards. In a deeply distressing account, a patient was reportedly left lying in their own faeces until a relative intervened and demanded assistance.

Those who spoke to the Reporter stressed that their frustration is not aimed at frontline staff, who they say are “exhausted, overstretched, and clearly doing their best under impossible pressure.” Instead, families worry that systemic issues - high demand, understaffing, and infrastructure that does not support safe patient flow - are leaving loved ones vulnerable and suffering unnecessarily.

Relatives say they are calling attention to these conditions in the hope that action will be taken quickly to protect both patients and staff.

The NHS is currently experiencing a period of industrial action by resident doctors alongside the busy winter period adding to the extreme high demand many emergency departments across the UK are facing.

Tameside Hospital assess and treats all their patients in order of clinical priority, meaning some patients experience a longer wait.

A Trust spokesperson said: "Our emergency department is experiencing extremely high demand, and our staff are working incredibly hard to see patients in a timely manner. Those with the highest clinical need will be seen first.

"Members of the public should only visit the emergency department in a serious or life-threatening emergency. If it is not an emergency, please consider other options such as using NHS 111 online via www.111.nhs.uk, visiting a pharmacist, or contacting your GP.

"We would encourage anyone with concerns about their care to raise them directly with our PALS and Complaints Team, who can be contacted by emailing palsandcomplaints@tgh.nhs.uk"