A WW2 veteran who battled freezing wartime convoys spent 18 hours on an A&E trolley before doctors were able to find him a bed.

The 95-year-old was rushed to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon with suspected blood poisoning – called sepsis – last week.

John Humphreys' family have spoken of “bedlam”-like conditions at the over-stretched emergency department – and called for health secretary Jeremy Hunt to stand down.

The Calne man’s wife, Sue, 73, said: “I had no choice but to look. I sat there watching what was going on. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There were trolleys everywhere.

“There were a lot of staff and they were all trying very hard. I could see that they were moving fast and doing what they could.”

After being brought in by ambulance from Savernake Community Hospital last Thursday, Mr Hunphreys was put in a cubicle by emergency department staff.

A thin screen divided the cubicle into two, with just inches separating the pensioner from a woman in the next bed.

He was taken for an x-ray by and left on a trolley outside the radiography room. Mrs Humphreys said: “There were two or three other trolleys there. I think they were using it as a bit of a relief from the bedlam in the department.”

She added that her husband suffered from a form of dementia: “He can’t take stress and he can’t take noise.”

Mr Hunphreys was moved to a side room in the emergency department 18 hours after he arrived at GWH – and transferred to a hospital ward after an estimated 25 hours.

A staff member told the family that at one point they had 38 patients on trolleys, but just 14 cubicles.

His family said he has been diagnosed with pneumonia.

It is hoped Mr Humphreys, who served as a sailor on the Russia and Malta convoys during the Second World War, will be transferred to a care home this month.

Sister-in law Nina Anstee, 70, from North London, said: “He could have died on that trolley.

“He wasn’t the only one in these circumstances by any means. The hospital was overwhelmed.”

A spokeswoman for GWH said that the emergency department “continues to be very busy”.

She added: “Our teams strive to see all patients as quickly as possible. However, some patients may face a longer wait than usual, for which we apologise.

“Although we cannot comment on individual situations, if anyone has concerns with their experience at GWH, we ask that they get in touch with our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team.”

Nina said: “It is just unbelievable that we as a relatively rich country are treating the very sick or the very old like this.If the government planned it they should be ashamed of themselves.”

Her sister praised the efforts of GWH doctors and nurses, but called for the resignation of health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who held on to his government job in this week’s reshuffle.

“The doctors and nurses did a brilliant job, but Jeremy Hunt should go,” she said.

“And if he can’t he should be sacked. I just want something done about the situation.

“When I stop to think about what we went through it still shocks me.”

A government spokesman said: “We know the NHS is extremely busy — as it always is at this time of year — but it is completely unacceptable when care falls below the high standards we expect.”

The government had invested an additional £437m into the NHS this year, he added.

“Hardworking staff are taking the necessary steps to make sure patients are seen as quickly as possible,supported by an additional £437million of funding this year.”

To contact the GWH PALS team, call 01793 604031, email gwh.pals@nhs.net, or visit their offices on the ground floor of GWH.