"Hospital admission to Crosshouse hospital"

Having called an ambulance when suffering from severe abdominal pain, my journey from ambulance to the emergency department was excellent. The ambulance crew were empathetic and professional, even under the extreme pressure they are under. When having to wait over 3 and a half hours outside the hospital in the ambulance, they continued to be extremely caring and professional.

On my admission to the ED, staff were again very attentive and caring , making me comfortable and giving me pain relief.  That changed when my diagnostic tests came back clear. The ED doctor was pushing for me to go home, even though my pain was still ongoing - it had reduced due to the pain relief and anti-emetics I had received, but I was still very uncomfortable. The surgical team assessed me and said I should stay overnight to control my pain and recheck my bloods and this made me feel more reassured.

The ED doctor continually tried to get me to go home, to the point I was in tears and distressed because I still didn't feel fit enough to make the journey home. The doctor left me in tears in the room and the next thing I knew there was another member of staff telling me that if I stayed, I would be on a trolley in the corridor and wouldn't have a bed in a ward until the next day (this was in the evening). They asked if I could go home and come back to an assessment unit in the morning. Again I explained that I didn't feel well enough to travel home. They left the room and then a nurse came in and explained how I needed to be moved to the corridor to allow for other patients to be assessed. At no point had I refused to leave this room and I felt very intimidated and as if I was being difficult. I was moved to the corridor, which I had no problem with, but clearly I was crying and upset because of the way I was made to feel. The corridor was busy and staff walked past time and time again avoiding eye contact with me. One staff nurse took the time to acknowledge I was upset and spoke to me to help calm me down. I explained how I had been made to feel and although I wasn't their patient, they took time and actually listened to me, even under the extreme pressure they were working under.

The shift changed and the patients in the corridor with me were given beds to get them off the trolleys, which again I had no problem with, but no acknowledgement or indication from staff that I was actually there. It was if I was invisible. I eventually got a staff member's attention to ask for pain relief. After 2 following requests for pain relief, I received it 3 hours after the first request, just before my transfer to the ward, which was about 14 hours after the time that I had been told previously.

I was admitted to ward 4A where the staff were excellent. The consultant  acknowledged that my diagnostic tests were clear, but because I was still so uncomfortable they requested further tests to make sure nothing was missed. They also acknowledged my long covid, which is good as they understood how although there is not much known about it, it is still an illness. 

The staff nurse looking after me was great. They always answered any questions and came back with anything I asked for, even though the ward was extremely busy. They were always cheery and pleasant.

I was discharged after 2 days on medication for my stomach and although I am still unwell at home, I am coping with the symptoms. On the day I was admitted, I would not have coped going home when I was still very uncomfortable.