Alarming pictures of a pensioner left waiting in an A&E chair for more than two days shine a light on the worst-ever crisis engulfing a Kent hospitals trust.

Geoffrey Knell, who turns 80 in May, spent 55 “uncomfortable and painful” hours stuck in a cramped consultation room at the QEQM Hospital in Margate.

The grandfather-of-seven had been admitted with a chest infection at 7am on Sunday and was later diagnosed with pneumonia, but was not given a bed until 2.30pm on Tuesday.

While distressing for the retired office fitter, Geoffrey’s story is sadly not uncommon at a trust now recording the fifth worst A&E waiting times in England.

Last month just 40% of patients were seen within four hours at the QEQM and the William Harvey in Ashford - the worst on record for East Kent Hospitals, which runs the sites.

At the same time more than 1,000 patients needing admission were left waiting at least 12 hours for a bed for the seventh month in a row.

In comparison, trusts in Maidstone and Dartford recorded just seven 12-hour waits combined across the same period.

Geoffrey will be just another number in the East Kent column when March’s figures are released, but his son, Paul, has spoken out to highlight the dire situation.

He says his father, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, barely slept while in the chair and was not given a single hot meal while waiting for a bed.

"He had two nights of sleep deprivation,” said Paul, from Margate.

"He was with seven other people in a consultation room with no privacy.

"It was really cramped and there was no space for visitors. It's really sad.

"He didn't have any hot food - just cold sandwiches - and you have to get your own water.

"He can’t really walk very far, only about two steps, so my mum has to be with him 90% of the time. But that means she's been losing sleep too, and she's 76."

Earlier this month East Kent Hospitals warned people not to attend its A&E departments unless in an emergency or if their injury or illness was life-threatening.

Bosses described the centres as “extremely busy” - a description Paul says paints an accurate picture of his family's experience.

He says staff at the QEQM were “clearly overwhelmed”, with little space available, no spare chairs and corridors being used as waiting rooms.

“I know the staff are doing everything they can - I'm just a concerned son," Paul added.

"It’s worrying and adding stress for the family."

"We just want him to be settled - that's our main concern - so that he's getting rest and recovering as quick as possible and coming out of the hospital.”

Alarmingly, Paul says a frail 82-year-old woman had been waiting 12 hours longer than his father for a bed.

Staff were so concerned she would develop bed sores sitting in a chair that she was given an inflatable cushion, he added.

Paul said he contacted his MP, Sir Roger Gale, who told him he would be raising the matter with the health secretary.

A major cause of the so-called ‘corridor waits’ is the huge number of patients being kept in hospital despite being well enough to leave.

These delayed discharges are often caused by a lack of suitable places for patients to be transferred to amid a shortage of care home spots, and not enough help from carers to enable patients to return home.

This in turn clogs up hospitals beds and causes a backlog in A&E, with one in five patients in east Kent now waiting more than 12 hours to be admitted.

Canterbury's Labour MP Rosie Duffield is worried the delays could mean people in urgent need could "fall through the cracks".

“People across east Kent in need of emergency medical attention are forced to wait far too long to be seen, and too many are left for hours often in serious pain, with increasing distress and anxiety," she said.

"I’m very worried that these delays are putting people off going to A&E when they need medical attention. Unacceptable waits will mean people in urgent need could fall through the cracks.

"We need to see immediate action from the government to get hospital waiting times down, for A&E departments and routine treatment.

"People also struggle to see their GP, which puts further pressure on already overstretched A&Es. It’s clear that we can’t go on like this. Ministers need to recognise this and act fast to save lives.

"I know from constituents, family and friends in east Kent that the situation here is currently extremely concerning and that unacceptable waiting times for treatment need to improve urgently.”

Sir Roger Gale told KentOnline he was prevented from commenting due to his current role as Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons.

Sarah Shingler, Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officer at East Kent Hospitals Trust, said: “I am very sorry to hear of Geoffrey’s experience - this is not the standard of care we want for our patients.

"Safe patient care remains our priority and our staff are working extremely hard to ensure people are seen as quickly as possible.

"Both our emergency departments are being significantly expanded following £30m investment, with improved waiting areas, treatment areas for adults and children, and staff facilities.

"We are also using virtual wards, which will allow patients to receive care and treatment in their own homes, helping to avoid hospital admissions.”