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Do not know why I was kept waiting so long

Posted By Abict45

"Do not know why I was kept waiting so long"

About: NHS 24 / NHS 24 (111 service) Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow / Accident & Emergency Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow / Minor Injuries Unit

(as a service user),

I fell and fractured a rib and had pelvic injuries. I did the right thing and phoned NHS24 who gave me an appointment with an Advanced Nurse Practitioner on Teams for 2 hours later. I was in absolute agony, unable to sit, unable to lie down but had to wait until I could speak to the ANP.

They were very kind and professional and told me that I would need to go to A&E at the QE but that they would phone ahead so that I could bypass triage and be seen sooner as they had already triaged me on the call.

When I arrived, I had to wait over an hour to be triaged and was greeted by a member of nursing staff who did not even look at me when they spoke, had no empathy whatsoever for the pain which I was suffering. I was sitting in the waiting room crying with the pain and it really seemed that they couldn't have cared less. My husband was shocked by their attitude, which was rude and obtuse, and it seemed like they did not want to be there.

I explained what I had been told by the ANP (backed up by my husband as he had heard this too) but they were not interested and insisted that I went back to the waiting room where I was left for another two hours+ ,in agony, before I got called into a very empty, quiet MIU. I was seen within 15 minutes and sent home with analgesia which I could not take.

The staff in MIU were very kind and professional but I did not know why I was kept waiting so long in A&E where I suffered for over 3 hours . The staff in MIU had told me that they had been quiet most of that night and so I couldn't understand why I had been left in A&E for so long. 

I really hope that I do not need the services of A&E again as this was a dreadful way to treat patients.

NHS 24 and MIU were very good but let down by the treatment received in between.

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Responses

Response from Stephanie, Patient Experience Officer, Nursing and Care, NHS 24 last week
Stephanie
Patient Experience Officer, Nursing and Care,
NHS 24

Manages patient feedback

Submitted on 16/04/2024 at 09:30
Published on Care Opinion at 09:40

picture of Stephanie

Dear Abict45

Thank you for sharing your experience on Care Opinion.

I’m sorry to learn you required to attend A&E for what sounds like very painful injuries.

I respond in relation to your contact with NHS 24.

I am glad to hear you had a good experience when you contacted NHS 24. If you wish for us to review any aspect of your contact with 111, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at patient.experience@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk

Thanks again for sharing your story, I do hope you are recovering well.

Best wishes

Stephanie

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Response from Lisa Martin, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Manager, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Team, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde last week
Lisa Martin
Patient Experience and Public Involvement Manager, Patient Experience and Public Involvement Team,
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Plan, design and deliver patient and user engagement opportunities

Submitted on 19/04/2024 at 19:36
Published on Care Opinion at 19:36

Dear Abict45,

Thank you for taking time to share your story and I'm so sorry that the level of care and poor communication you experienced was not of the high quality we strive to deliver every day. I would like to reassure you that I have shared your story with the Senior Charge Nurse and wider team to identify what changes or improvements can be made to ensure all patients have a positive experience when receiving treatment and care in the future.

Please accept our apologies again, and I do hope you are recovering well.

Best wishes,

Lisa Martin,

PEPI Manager.

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Update posted by Abict45 (a service user)

Hi Lisa, thank you for responding to my comments. I was wondering why my story had been changed before it was posted as someone changed some of my words including the fact that it was a staff member on the nursing team who I found to be unfriendly and uncaring. It was changed to medical staff, unfairly as they could not have been any more professional or empathetic. I was unsure of how I could change this error as I would not like the medical staff seen in an unfavourable light.

I do, very much, understand the pressures that are felt by the service on a daily basis as I work in healthcare services but it just seemed to me on that night, that the caring and compassion that should have been shown was not present from this staff member and it made me feel even worse than I already did.

I hope that they can reflect on their attitude and how it makes patients feel when they are suffering excruciating pain and how kind words, empathy and efficiency mean so much.

I was unable to sit up comfortably for two months after this accident, so you can imagine how painful it was to sit for hours on a hard plastic chair in A&E.

I am now on the mend thankfully but hope that others do not experience what I have.

Response from Ali Patrick, Senior Moderation Officer, Moderation, Care Opinion last week
Ali Patrick
Senior Moderation Officer, Moderation,
Care Opinion

Submitted on 22/04/2024 at 15:28
Published on Care Opinion at 16:59

picture of Ali Patrick

Hello Abict45,

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us, and for your response to correct some of the details of your story. I'm one of the senior moderators at Care Opinion.

All stories on Care Opinion are moderated before being published. Part of this process is to ensure that patients and individual staff members aren't identifiable, which might also include removing specific staff roles or titles. I can see that in this case, the changes made might have altered your feedback in ways that weren't intended, please accept our apologies for this.

I've amended your original story to reflect your reply and to make clearer the role of the staff member, so that your feedback can reach the relevant members of the hospital team.

Warm regards,

Ali & the Care Opinion team

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Response from Karen Hughes, Senior Charge Nurse, Emergency Department and Minor Injuries Units, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and New Victoria Hospital), NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde last week
Karen Hughes
Senior Charge Nurse, Emergency Department and Minor Injuries Units, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and New Victoria Hospital),
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde

Senior charge nurse & emergency nurse practitioner within the ED & Miu of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

Submitted on 22/04/2024 at 17:22
Published on Care Opinion at 17:22

picture of Karen Hughes

dear Abict45,

thank you for taking the time to submit a care opinion. I’m sorry that it was not a nice experience for you, and you had a lengthy wait. Care opinion doesn’t share personal details, if you’d like to email me directly at karen.hughes@ggc.scot.nhs.uk with your name and date of attendance I will look into this further.

with kind regards,

Karen

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