A man with a fast-spreading skin infection spent four nights on a chair while waiting for a bed in a Cardiff A&E.
John Evans (59) was advised to visit University Hospital of Wales following a recurrence of an infection that had been treated with IV antibiotics.
Before finally getting admitted to the bed, he spent four more days in waiting.
Cardiff and Vale Health Board told BBC News it had apologized to Mr Evans, and that they were still in contact with him.
Mr Evans told BBC News: ‘I was really shocked by the conditions that the patients and staff were in.
John Evans, aged 59, was told by University Hospital of Wales to seek treatment for a severe skin infection.
Before finally getting admitted to the bed, Evans spent four more days in the waiting area.
The only toilet available was the one that could be used, and there were no hot meals.
“The staff were great and worked hard. They are so kind and caring. But they also had to work under pressure.
“They felt helpless and had to find a way to care for patients in a horrible situation.
“I had always believed the health system was available if I needed them.”
“In this case it was there but not enough and that was due to the professionalism of staff.
BBC News was informed by a spokesperson for the health board that services were under severe pressure because of a variety factors, including staff shortages and ongoing challenges presented by coronavirus.
Cardiff and Vale’s health board said to BBC News that it had made an apology to Mr Evans but was still in touch.
“In addition, hospital discharges are delayed due to pressures on the social and health services of Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan.
These and other issues are affecting patient flow at our site and, consequently, the waiting time in our emergency department.
“In this instance, we deeply apologize for any delays or experience that Mr Evans has had. Our concerns team is in touch with Evans to address the concerns directly.
The pandemic has disrupted the flow of passengers from A&E beds through to longer-term care services, meaning A&Es across the UK have had slower than usual admission times.
There are currently 1,000 beds in Welsh hospitals occupied by medically fit people who cannot secure care and thus cannot be released from A&E.
As a result, more than 8,800 patients waited more than 12 hours to be admitted to A&E in Wales during November.