"Utter utter disbelief at what I experienced"

Suspected DVT as have all classic symptoms- red swelling, chest pain, floaters, pins and needles in arms.

I have a history of DVT under 30 years old.

Walk into a&e Southend and wait 7 hours - no examination, no urgency, no interest in my symptoms, told I am severely dehydrated but nothing offered in 7 hours.

Blood tests eventually taken. Waited more hours hours. Blood tests return but nothing checked for DVT on notes. Not sure what they were checking. Was told to have a repeat blood test - more waiting.

When I voiced my concerns I was told repeatedly to compose myself and wait in the waiting room outside with the 100 other poorly patients.

Utter utter disbelief at what I experienced. I felt I was in a building full of actors pretending to be doctors and nurses. Nobody helping anyone by my observations - a man waiting 6 hours for a prescription for antibiotics. A terminal cancer young patient given blood tests - to be told the blood tests were no good - wait another 3 hours for more blood tests. Names being called out but nobody responding. So doctors and nurses disappear for 20 minutes to be repeated several times over sometimes same names. Same faces all waiting in pain for hours on end. Fobbed off with blood tests not right needs to be repeated. Doctor needs to write a prescription but they are busy at the moment. What the hell is going on?

I left the a&e unit 8.5 hours later- no wiser if I have a DVT. No examinations, no scans, nobody giving any answers to any of my questions.

I am never going to a nhs hospital again. I’d rather die at home than put my faith in the nhs system. Up until then they had my upmost respect.

I feel sorry for anyone that needs the nhs service. It feels like may as well wait at a bus garage for 7 hours. Probably get more response and help from the public than a nhs doctor or nurse. 

Ashamed to be a U.K. citizen and taxpayer.