"The lack of empathy was appalling"

I suffered a missed miscarriage, I chose to wait for it to happen naturally but after a week still nothing. I went to the EPAU clinic to have “medical management’  the procedure unfortunately caused me to have some complications late that evening whilst I was at home.

I was driven to A&E after calling 111 and being advised that I needed to go to hospital as this is not normal. We arrived around 9pm, by this point I was becoming increasingly concerned that things were getting worse as I was bleeding heavily. I was told to sit in the waiting room with everybody else, even though it was clear my clothes were bloodstained and was sat with a towel round my waist.

Two hours later I was visibly distressed by as I was feeling pain and uncomfortable. I was surrounded by everyone in a small waiting room. Filled with people who had visible non-life threatening injuries or alcohol fuelled injuries. This was very humiliating as not only was I dealing with miscarriage which was a sensitive issue I was also being left visibly bleeding through my trousers in front of other men and women. Absolutely no urgency or compassion was shown.

I was told they were just busy. I felt like I was just being left to bleed out. It got to the point I begged my partner to tell them I don’t feel well please can they hurry. Eventually I was seen around half an hour later.

I was put on a ward in the early hours of the morning. In the meantime I was put in a private room in casualty. I asked if someone could take me to the toilet - when I got up the whole bed was soaked with blood. I was escorted to the toilet I had to buzz for help as it was getting worse. The girl who helped me was lovely and reassuring.

When I went up to the ward it got very intense. I had to buzz as I felt dizzy and my blood pressure dropped, 3 nurses came in to assist, there was a consultatant there who had to perform a procedure to stop the bleeding. She was amazing and explained everything to me and was surprised how I’d had no painkillers.

I felt very let down by the A&E staff they made me feel like I was over exaggerating my symptoms and that I'd just have to wait. I honestly felt like I might have just been left to bleed to death. That’s probably not the case but the lack of empathy was appalling. How could anyone leave somebody in a waiting room clearly in a distressed state visibly bleeding. I was despair It was very traumatic. I feel if they had prioritised my case a lot of this could have been avoided. I narrowly escaped needing a blood transfusion by a fraction. My confidence in the NHS was diminished it’s taken me a long time to get over it physically and mentally.