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Left without having had any care

Posted By julybe44

"Left without having had any care"

About: South West Acute Hospital / Emergency Care and Medicine Services

(as the patient),

I feel very sad, came in with a very bad shoulder pain, in the early evening , I was given a pain killer and was told to wait. Four and a half hours later and waiting to be seen by a doctor. No doctor, continuously kept on asking when I could see a doctor informing that I am in immense pain, no one even tried to evaluate the scale of the pain I was facing.

After going to the reception couple of times, the person said I will be soon soon although advised it will take another 30 mins but ended up staying for more than 45 mins and was still not called, 6 more patients were called in front of me. Finally near midnight I was taken in, and said I would be given pain killers and an x tray will be taken, was waiting for another 30 mins for the x tray and when finally they took me in not only my name was spelt wrong but my date of birth was wrong. Very unprofessional in any given standards, and then was asked to stay for another few minutes saying they need to correct the name and date of birth.

Still in severe pain, I told them I could not wait any longer. The nurses told me to inform the doctor, when I informed the doctor requesting a pain killer they still had not ordered and was asked to wait. What patient care is this? I feel the first thing they should do is give the patient relief who is undergoing severe pain. They said to wait and that they will get the medicine, but another 30 mins went by but no medicine, I informed the hospital reception and left with utter dismay with a severe pain not being able to tell anyone how I feel, as, by the looks of it and as per there actions they didn't seem to care.

Never expected this coming from one of the most leading health services. More than six and a half hours at the Emergency Department and leaving without having had any care.

In all my life it was the longest wait for me ever. I come from a developing country and in I have never spent more than 20 mins in my life in Emergency Service. I sincerely hope this hospital and it's emergency doctors get their act right for the sake of its patients.

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Responses

Response from John Kerr, Emergency Nurse Practitioner SWAH ED, Acute Services Emergency Care, WHSCT nearly 2 years ago
John Kerr
Emergency Nurse Practitioner SWAH ED, Acute Services Emergency Care,
WHSCT

assess and treat

Submitted on 26/09/2023 at 09:38
Published on Care Opinion at 09:38

Dear julybe44

I am sorry to read about your experiences while visiting our department, but thank you for using the care opinion platform to express your concerns and opinions, so that we may alleviate, address and improve on our service.

we use a number of skills to evaluate the pain a person maybe experiencing. These include verbal and non-verbal cues, that are identified by the assessing clinician. I read that you were given a pain killer in accordance with what we as a department would expect.

Within such a dynamic environment, like the Emergency Department, priority has to be given to those with greatest clinical need. This may can cause unavoidable delays, for which we have very little control over but we have to work within the resources available to us.

Our x-ray department runs a 24 hour service, however after 17:00 this is reduced to an on-call, emergency service. This once again can cause unavoidable delays, however their service is priority and clinical need driven also.

I cannot comment on the incorrect details, the need for these to changed and the consequent delay it caused. I would like to apologise for this, but maybe someone from our admin team could give you a reason in due course.

I would like further apologise for the delay in you receiving further analgesia as appropriate.

The National Health Service is a wonderful organisation, offering a free at point of use service to all that require it. Unfortunately there are immense pressures put on the service, from the population. This can lead to unavoidable delays, but we have to work on a clinical need basis and within the resources available to us.

As I have previously replied in a previous response to you, I cannot comment on individual Health Care Systems, and their operation. I would like to take this opportunity, however, to reiterate, as previously stated in a response to you, about the other resources available to you. Namely he GPOOH service, Pharmacists, Phone First. These services can advise and treat without the need for you to attend the Emergency Department, avoiding unnecessary pressures on the department and reducing the frustration of a long wait.

As a department, we are always striving to deliver excellence. The care opinion platform, that you have used, helps us identify weaknesses and potential failing, and for that I would like to thank you once again for availing of their service.

Finally, once again, I hope that you are making a good recovery from you recent medical emergency.

kind regards

John Kerr (Emergency Nurse Practitioner ENP)

SWAH ED

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