"Nurses and doctors run off their feet"

I arrived at the hospital around 1.15pm with my mum who had taken a bad reaction to an antibiotic. She was slightly confused, had a UTI and was off her feet.

When we arrived there were about 6 ambulances outside and police cars. I struggled to get parked so i went in and asked for a wheelchair as there were none about. A porter had to go to the other side of the hospital to get me one. I struggled getting mum in the wheelchair. I wheeled her in and the place was really busy. We booked her in and sat waiting. It was some wait for someone in their eighties.

Mum needed the toilet so i took her to the disabled toilet. My mum was so weak i could hardly get her off the wheelchair. She kept falling over and was slumped on the bucket against the wall. We did manage eventually. I was a bit traumatised by it all. The place was mobbed now. More police and people frightened. Mum was crying and wanted to go home. Now there were 8 ambulances outside and 5 police cars. It was all getting a bit much. Nurses were very busy.

Mum needed toilet again. This time i went to the desk and asked for help, i felt so guilty as i should have been able to do this myself but i was so scared she fell. The kind receptionist left her desk and came back with a nurse who smiled and reassured me i was doing the right thing getting help. I felt she took the time to help me out when i was struggling, even though she was run off her feet, nothing was a bother. 

Mum had her OBS and ECG done but we were put back out to the waiting room. 2 charge nurses came out and explained the dire situation the department was in. The wait was going to be longer. Mum got taken approx 10.30pm. We went through and she was put in a bay. All i could see were nurses and docs run off their feet.

A nurse  came in to see mum. Mum was petrified as we had just lost our dad 3 months ago. The nurse gave her a big smile and was so down to earth. She had mum smiling and nothing was a bother. We stayed with mum until about 3am. I then seen the nurse who helped me earlier. The 2 nurses worked well together. The multi tasking they did was amazing. They made us feel at ease. The second nurse seemed to understand what we were going through and took the time to make this journey easier. 

Even though the NHS is struggling with resources and financial problems you have nurses and docs there running their backsides off trying to keep it together. When they show care and compassion like that under the pressure they are in it makes you feel quite humble. Something certainly needs to get done soon as the NHS is crumbling. These poor nurses and docs cannot sustain the pressure like this. The are going to burn out.  But well done to all staff.