A MUM claims that she was forced to wait for 24-hours in A&E while her 10-month-old baby was suffering from hand, foot and mouth disease.

Chelsea Clarke, 21, rushed her daughter to hospital with an extremely high temperature and was forced to wait in A&E until a medic was free.

The mum said that it was while they were waiting in A&E at Basildon Hospital on Saturday 24 November, that little Dolcie-Rae developed a rash all over her body.

Miss Clarke, from Laindon, said: "She had a rash on every part of her body.

"She had a rash in her ears and eyes."

She was told that her baby had hand, foot and mouth disease and was sent home that night with medicine, but Chelsea took the baby back to A&E around 6pm the following day after Dolcie-Rae showed no sign of improvement.

She said: "We were in the main A&E outside the X-ray because she was contagious.

"Dolcie had not drunk anything or eaten all day. She didn't have any wet nappies and they didn't seem concerned."

Ms Clarke also claims that a nurse laughed at her when she told Dolcie had only consumed two ounces of water that day.

She says that she was disgusted with the way she was treated by the staff in A&E, where the pair were forced to wait until the baby was taken to Puffin Ward at around 2.30pm the next day.

She added: "I really don't think that letting a mum wait with a baby less than a year old for so many hours overnight is acceptable."

Dolcie-Rae stayed on the ward overnight and was discharged on November 27 and is now recovering at home.

She added: "The hospital apologised but it should have come from them. It should have come from the nurses."

Basildon Hospital has now admitted that Miss Clarke had a poor experience and they've now promised to investigate the member of staff in question.

They've also apologised to the young mum.

Dawn Patience, director of nursing at Basildon Hospital, said: "We are committed to providing our patients with high-quality care and when we experience exceptionally high attendances to A&E staff work hard to avoid the long waits this patient and her mum experienced and we have personally apologised to her."

The hospital also stated that "quick action" was taken to address the complaint against the member of staff, who has since been moved to a different ward.