"Should be access to washing facilities and a bathroom"

My daughter attended a&e a few months ago with suspected sepsis and she was triaged in ambulatory care. They done bloods and tests and it was discovered it was not sepsis but in fact Flu A. My daughter is 18 years old and was very scared. Luckily I was allowed in with her, she was in a tiny box room with no bathroom on the ward. 

The communication between staff members and doctors to nurses wasn’t the best, one doctor wasn’t even aware that she had the flu and was shocked when we told them.

Due to the bed shortage in the hospital she was told she would have to stay in but wouldn’t be able to go to a ward as she required a side room and there was none available. She asked to use the bathroom and was told she would have to use a commode due to there being no bathroom on the ward, (to add to the story she was also on her time of the month). I simply said she would not be using a commode as she it wasn’t just a pee she needed and she was a young girl. They told her that there was no way she would be allowed to use a toilet due to the flu. I totally understand that the flu can be very dangerous but I feel it was ridiculous that they refused an 18 year old the right to a toilet.

She explained to the nurse that she was on her period and needed to go to the toilet and the nurse said there was nothing she could do for her, and told her she could kill an elderly person if she went to the bathroom and asked her if she wanted to do that. To say this to a vulnerable young girl is, I believe, disgusting, little did they know that my daughter lost her mum (my wife) to a flu like condition a couple of years prior.

My daughter was distraught and felt very alone, she did not get to leave this small box room. My daughter was in the triage for over 24 hours and asked if there was anywhere that she could use to get a shower as she had had temperatures on and off all day and night and had been very sweaty, but the nurses told her there was no where for her to shower and said they would give her a bed bath. If patients are going to be kept on a ward for over 24 hours there should be access to washing facilities and a bathroom on the ward for patients to use.

I understand that this triage bay is only for patients to be in for a few hours and then either discharged or moved to wards but due to staffing, hospital bed shortages etc this is not always possible and that is understandable, but in these circumstances there should be somewhere for patients to go to be able to wash and be clean. My daughter was totally disrespected and made to feel very small and lonely on the ward. It broke my heart her phoning me during the night as she was refused a bathroom.

One lovely nurse eventually got her a wheelchair and gloved her up with a mask on too and took her to a toilet to use, which I am ever so grateful for! But the vast majority of staff were not at all helpful and made my daughter feel very alone and undignified.