"Long wait in emergency"

My adult child presented to the Emergency Department (ED) recently with chest pains having driven themselves from their worksite under considerable stress. At approximately midday they were admitted to stay overnight for further testing. At nearly midnight they were still sitting in ED with pain and no one knows anything about their condition. Shifts have changed. There is no food available. They said they can’t go home. In my opinion, this is disgraceful. We are frustrated. 

Quite frankly, I feel your system is so inadequate. Great new buildings don’t equate to great new processes. I feel something needs to change. I have tried to keep my child here and coerce them to be patient, explaining how the system is stretched. After 11 hours though they are at wit's end and hard to convince. 

I assumed chest pain required immediate attention regardless. What happened there?