Being Horrid

This was posted by ‘Kathy’ last week, taken from Patient Opinion March 2013, describing her experience of St. Peter’s Accident and Emergency.

I was kicked out in much the same way - left in reception in a wheelchair,waiting for a cab. In fairness, the nurse who put my ankle in plaster didn't know it was a dislocated fracture so it wasn't her fault.

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“When I was taken to A&E by ambulance I was seen very quickly. The nurses and consultant were first rate as were the ambulance team. I was diagnosed and treated very well.

I was discharged, but on getting up I could not stand and collapsed, the discharge process continued uninterrupted. Two nurses helped me into a chair. I was left in in that chair in the main waiting area in a state of undress.

My husband was called to say I was ready to go home. On arrival he was shocked to see me in that state and tried to get me dressed in the disabled toilet but because I could not stand I collapsed again and hit my head.

My husband went to reception for help to lift me and was advised that he would have to wait for triage! Eventually two nurses saw my plight; they and my husband helped me up. I then had to go back through triage which took over eight, yes eight hours only to be told there was nothing they could do as there were no beds and my husband should collect me and I would be helped into the car.

Quite how they expected him to get me into our house was beyond me. He had no option but collect me and in the process of transferring me to the house he hurt himself as he practically carried me from the car to the house and upstairs.

To say my treatment was mixed is somewhat of an understatement. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once wrote: "And when she was good, she was very, very good, But when she was bad she was horrid". “

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Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

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