"People should feel safe when they are most vulnerable."

At the beginning of September I was admitted into A/E in the morning, I was seen quickly in triage and taken through as I was in a lot of pain. From there I was seen quickly  and given IV morphine and transferred from resus into room 10, this was when my nightmare began.

I was introduced to the nurse who was supposed to be my main carer, after that I never saw the same nurse twice. I could feel and sense how hectic the department was. I was fortunate to have my son with me as the only time I did see a nurse was when my observations were done  or when I buzzed to request analgesia.

Throughout the day I had an x-ray followed by a CT scan, which identified a splenic infant. This took me into late afternoon. I was offered some diluting juice but requested water instead. From there on I asked for water on many occasions but to no avail, my son eventually went to the shop and got me water.

I was also offered some food but declined this as I was really sore and had just requested more analgesia. The surgeon who saw me was lovely they explained what was wrong and that I required admission for pain management and fluid replacement, At this time I felt very lost, insecure  and abandoned 

Late in the evening I was taken to the short stay ward, but the room I was being taken into was the room my younger sister died in. I know this was no one's  fault but I had a bit if a meltdown  from there I was taken back to A/E and placed in the furthest away bay in the plaster room and left.

My pain was getting severe again and I couldn't reach the buzzer on the wall, I tried shouting for help by then I was at the end of my tether. I some how managed to get the side down on the trolley get my feet on the ground and reach for the buzzer on the wall by the time someone came I was hanging over the trolley very distressed.

A Care Support Worker helped me onto a chair I then expressed that A/E was a horrible place and that I had been in since that morning, and not once had I received a drink of water even although I had asked on numerous occasions, as a result I had only managed to drink about half a bottle of water over the whole day. After I complained she went and got the help I needed, the staff nurse apologised gave me analgesia and a cup of tea. From there on I never saw another person until the porter came in the early hours of the morning to take me to ward 18.

Having worked for the NHS in A&E myself, I used to be proud to say I worked there, now I'm embarrassed. Maybe I'm too old school. Where has the compassion and continuity of care gone, when the ratio of staff doesn't relate to the rise in work load, the nurses try their very best  and I do feel for them but it is all wrong. People should feel safe and secure when they are most vulnerable.

Ward 18

My care in ward 18 was excellent but again the nurses were pushed to the limit , 

On my second night in the ward the bay I was in was meant for 4 beds. The staff nurse came in and asked if they could make a space in the corner thus making it into a 5 bedded bay. I know how busy and how pushed the bed mangers are but I was placed in the corner underneath a very large tv, with no buzzer, no plug points, I couldn't even sit by my bed  as there was no room so I had to be placed at the bottom of my bed.

Hospitals are supposed to be a place of safety and all I know is that I did not feel safe. I also wondered about health and safety, what if there was a fire would I be accounted for  as there should only be 4 patients in the cubicle not 5 .