Woman Who Broke Her Arm In A Fall Was Told She Is Too OLD To Be Treated

Jul 05, 2022 by apost team

Susan Halbert is an 83-year-old woman who recently injured her arm after falling outside. After doctors revealed that she had broken an arm in two different places, she was told that she was not young enough for treatment.

When the retiree fell outside of her home, emergency services rushed her to the nearby New Victoria Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. Unfortunately, the doctors didn't attend to the patient because she wasn't younger than 65. The New Victoria Hospital even has a unit specially equipped to treat injuries to the arms and legs.

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After being turned away from the first hospital, Mrs. Halbert was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where she only received a splint for her injury. She also had to wait four hours before receiving any attention. When she was interviewed about the incident by The Daily Mail, Mrs. Halbert acknowledged the excellent paramedics who first attended to her injury. However, the hospitality and care were short-lived. Mrs. Halbert had to wait for hours before receiving any form of medical attention at the hospital.

At the New Victoria hospital, the receptionist explained that they couldn't accept the pensioner because of her age. Apparently, 65 was the cutoff age for treatment. Instead of being able to carry on with their job, the paramedics had to drive Mrs. Halbert to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Because of the long lines, she wasn't triaged for a total of four hours. She also had to wait another two hours to receive any treatment.

According to Mrs. Halbert, the paramedics had never heard about patients being too old to receive treatment. Mrs. Halbert was not happy as she had to wait countless hours with a broken arm while receptionists denied her access to a care facility due to her age. After the incident, Mrs. Halbert remarked that patients of all ages deserve quality treatment and access to a hospital. 

Unfortunately, Mrs. Halbert's injury worsened. She was eventually flown to Royal Free Hospital in London. Here, she received the treatment needed. The Health Board for New Victoria Hospital has since apologized and admitted that there was no age limit for their MIUs (minor injury units). The Health Board continued to explain that the MIUs are only designed to treat minor burns, strains, sprains, cuts, and grazes. However, the facilities aren't able to deal with more complicated accidents like Mrs. Halbert's fracture.

Learn more about Mrs. Halbert's story in the video below:

What do you think about the incident and the response by the hospital? Feel free to show this post to friends and family.