"The whole experience was truly disappointing"

I had an accident where I fell coming out my front door with my 22-month-old son in my arms. My son unfortunately broke his leg as a result and I am currently in a boot for a severe ankle sprain, ligament damage and a chipped bone in my foot.

We attended for his follow up at Royal Hospital for Children Fracture Clinic in Glasgow Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Our appointment was for 10am. We left our house at 9am with a 20min journey. Unfortunately poorly signposted roadworks on the road to the hospital resulted in a delay. We must have circled several car parks for over 30mins. My husband had to eventually drop us off blocking the car park because all of the drop off spaces were full of parked cars. He then went to park the car. It goes without saying that I am unable to drive at the moment.

I struggled to push my son in his pushchair due to my own injury. I followed signage hurriedly to the entrance to the hospital only to discover when I got there it was closed and a temporary entrance back where I’d come from was open. There was no signage for this! I accidentally caught the pushchair with my boot as a result of rushing and almost caused my son and I further injury. Several staff in uniform were in the vicinity not one of them helped us.

We then got into the reception and were directed to clinic 2. My husband eventually made it at 10:15am and we were taken for our appointment at 10:20am. They wanted a further xray of my son's thigh as there was a speck on the x-ray that had not been picked up during our A&E visit. A&E had told us his thigh x-ray was entirely clean. We were sent to x-ray and must have waited around 30-40mins.

From the minute my son was in the hospital he was distraught. After the x-ray we were asked to return to clinic 2 which we did and notified reception we had returned to be asked for a form which no one had given us. We have no idea how long we then waited to be reviewed by the doctor again but the entire time my son was screaming and panicking. We severely struggled due to my own injury and his. Not a single NHS staff member helped us.

I appreciate there are lengthy waits in these clinics and probably staff shortages but for no one to even try to help us disgusted me. Where is the care and compassion? The doctor then took my husband in only, due to my son's distress, to tell him x-ray was clean and we can go home. No further information was provided and my husband had to prompt the doctor about whether my son could now move around in his cast and if the looseness at his thigh was of any concern.

He asked about further follow up and the doctor told him to speak to the reception about arranging follow up for 3 weeks but when he did this reception were confused and asked the doctor and the doctor said no I’ll send him an appointment. The entire clinic felt like disorganised chaos.

After the clinic, my husband told me to wait at the drop off zone and he would bring the car round as by this point I was in significant pain and had suffered a migraine as a result of the stress. The drop off spaces were all still full of the same parked cars. My husband stopped beside them again having to block the car park to help me into the car and my son into his car seat. A parking attendant during this proceeded to tell my husband to move! Honestly the whole experience was truly disappointing.

On a positive note, our experience of children’s A&E was amazing. I was very distressed refusing to have myself checked out until my son was fully assessed and treated. My son was in so much pain which the staff immediately rushed to remedy with stronger medication. The staff were unbelievable and went over and above for my son and I. A staff member from children’s A&E even wheel-chaired me to minor injuries once my son had been taken care of. The care and compassion in children’s A&E was exceptional and I cannot thank them enough.

Car parking seems to be an enormous issue at this hospital as it is at most hospitals but this was truly disgraceful on this occasion. I really do not know what the hospital expects patients to do.