Coronavirus in Portsmouth: Social media 'rubbish' claiming Queen Alexandra Hospital is empty is refuted by readers

Over the weekend a post circulated on Facebook from a woman who uploaded pictures of hospital corridors, claiming that she had been to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham and it was ‘the quietest I have ever seen it’.

Chief executive of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Mark Cubbon, took to Twitter to debunk the theory – and the incident has been reported to Hampshire Constabulary.

Now, readers of The News have dismissed the woman’s ramblings as ‘absolute rubbish’, saying it doesn’t tell the full story.

Commenting on the paper’s Facebook page, Jenny Creed said: ‘I was recently admitted to QA hospital due to sepsis – I was waiting in the ambulance for near two hours waiting for a bed to become available in A&E, and I can say that the wards are extremely busy and run off their feet.

‘The care given is absolutely amazing by all staff, no matter how busy they were they always give 100 per cent. How dare someone be so disrespectful towards staff and the hospital, know the facts first.’

Kat Davies added: ‘How disrespectful to every staff member working at QA. Of course the corridors are quiet, there no visitors and Covid patients will not be wandering the corridors. Silly lady.’

Scott Randall said: ‘Congratulations, you took photos during the latest possible time at night in the access corridors.

‘Amazingly hospitals don't keep patients in the corridors. Patients are on the wards with the staff and the equipment to help them.’

In a video also uploaded to Facebook, the woman walked past the hospital coffee shop, newsagents and chapel – all of which are closed due to tier four restrictions.

Reader Chloe Jacobs said: ‘if the corridors were full of sick people on beds and there people with Covid were walking around freely, the hospital would be heavily scrutinised and and dragged through the mud.

‘It doesn’t matter what you do there’s always some prat lacking a hobby. Well done to all the staff at QA, I cannot imagine how hard going it’s been lately.’

The hospital trust has been contacted for further comment.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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