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"Badly treated at triage"

About: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France / Accident & Emergency

(as the patient),

After potentially having my drink spiked on a night out in Edinburgh (I don't do drugs, hadn't drank a lot and I was found unconscious/unresponsive in a toilet cubical), an ambulance was called and took me to Edinburgh Royal infirmary.  I do not remember any of the events leading up to being in the hospital but my husband, sister and all my friends told the ambulance crew that I am not a drug taker and this was incredibly out of character for me.   I would have hoped this was passed on at the hospital.

The first point I remember anything was being in a hospital bed and a nurse was being very abrupt with me and said wake up now (insert my name here), you need to wake up, you can't sleep here.  This is Triage and we need you in the chair and out to the waiting room as we need the bed for someone else.  I know the name of this nurse but won't post here. 

At this point in time, my brain was slowly coming back around but I couldn't control my head to bring it up off the bed.  I still felt lifeless.

They were so rude and had absolutely no compassion.  I was in the most terrifying situation of my life and I felt that they had made an assumption that I was either drunk or had willing taken something that had gone wrong.  

I did get quite sharp back with them as I was terrified and they wouldn't back down so I had to turn to their colleague and ask them to speak to this nurse and get them to back down and give me a chance to physically come around.  I must have blanked out again as the next thing I remember is being an emotional wreck in the middle of a busy waiting room.  

I understand that they must see drink and drug affects a million times a week but not everyone who comes through the door has done so due to their own actions and this nurse made me feel worse than I already did in a very frightening and emotional situation was absolutely atrocious and I feel so let down.  

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Responses

Response from Michelle Jack, Associate Nurse Director, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, NHS Lothian nearly 2 years ago
Michelle Jack
Associate Nurse Director, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh,
NHS Lothian
Submitted on 06/07/2023 at 10:11
Published on Care Opinion at 10:11


picture of Michelle Jack

Dear CBEE23

I am sorry to hear of your experience and I will share this with the team. If you would like to raise a formal complaint, please contact the Patient Experience Team at NHS Lothian feedback@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk or 0131 536 3370 (Monday - Friday 9am to 2pm) to give us more details. This will allow us to look further into this and though cant change your experience may improve it for others who are in the same terrifying position you found yourself in.

Thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback and apologies again for your experience.

Kind regards,
Michelle

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