Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray claims he waited 10 hours to be seen in A&E before giving up
The Mickey Pearce actor is battling cancer and says he was told to seek medical attention after running a fever
Only Fools and Horses star Patrick Murray has claimed that he was forced to wait for 10 hours in the accident and emergency unit at a hospital before giving up and going home.
The 66-year-old actor who played character Mickey Pearce in the beloved BBC comedy series, revealed earlier this year that his lung cancer had returned.
Greenwich-born Murray first announced his diagnosis in January 2022.
By May last year, he expressed hope that an operation to remove a cancerous tumour, alongside chemotherapy, appeared to have been a success.
Another tumour was also found in his liver, unconnected to his lung cancer, and was also treated.
Fast forward to April 2023, and sadly he confirmed that the disease had spread and he has since been undergoing chemotherapy.
His latest treatment is what led him to go to hospital after staff overseeing it urged him seek medical help after running a fever.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday, he declared that the NHS “needs fixing” as he shared his plight.
“Ten hours waiting in A&E is unacceptable. I gave up and went home. The workers are wonderful, but the system is seriously flawed. The NHS needs fixing, not hollow promises,” Murray wrote on the micro-blogging platform.
While he received mostly supportive messages in response, one person claimed that he “didn’t need to be there” if he gave up and went home.
“Maybe try the doctors or pharmacist next time. A&E is full of people who don’t need to be there and could use alternatives. You said yourself you gave up and went home which suggests it wasn’t urgent,” they penned.
Not backing down, Murray replied: “I was sent there by the chemotherapy dept because I was running a fever. Infections can be very dangerous when you are on chemo. If you have any more patronising advice, maybe you should keep it to yourself. Good health.”
Insisting that they had meant no offence, they added: “In your situation I wouldn’t have just gone home. Not patronising, just good advice. Good luck with your health.”
