Hospital staff are to have name tag procedures reinforced after a pensioner allegedly had the wrong wristband put on him as he was being taken for treatment.

Charles Dewen, 75, has received an apology from Ipswich Hospital following the incident and been given an assurance that the matter has been taken very seriously.

Mr Dewen, of Kingsfleet Road, Felixstowe, was taken to hospital on January 21 by a paramedic in a 4x4 at 2am after suffering chest pains.

As he was being taken for treatment his wristband fell off and on retrieving it he claimed he discovered it referred to someone else.

In a letter, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust said: “The trust policy relating to identification tags is that the details are checked with the patients before being applied.

“In this instance it is possible that the tag was applied by the paramedic who was booking you in to the emergency department as the department staff were busy.”

Basic nursing practice is to check the tag before any treatment is given and so the error would have been discovered.

The letter continued: “Please be assured that head matron Caroline Driver will be raising the issue relating to wristbands in the forthcoming team meeting to remind all emergency department staff of the importance of ensuring the correct procedure is followed at all times.”

Mr Dewen said: “I am pleased the issue is being taken so seriously.

“Hopefully my complaint will mean that mistakes do not happen in future.”