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Waiting times and lack of care

Posted By lupusrh73

"Waiting times and lack of care"

About: Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (Wonford) / Accident and emergency

(as a parent/guardian),

I arrived at the hospital early evening and was still waiting to be seen at 2 am, over 8 hours and still waiting to see a doctor. I saw staff standing around talking and laughing between themselves and to me, this seems like a lack of care being given to patients.

When asked what was happening all I get told - sorry I don't know what is happening or how long the doctor will be. I feel very let down especially when my child is in a lot of pain and the only pain killers they offer is paracetamol.

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Responses

Response from Tamara Martin Garcia, Sister, Emergency Department (Eastern Services), Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 4 months ago
Tamara Martin Garcia
Sister, Emergency Department (Eastern Services),
Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Sister Emergency Department

Submitted on 05/04/2025 at 19:08
Published on Care Opinion at 19:08

picture of Tamara Martin Garcia

Thank you for sharing your feedback. I am deeply sorry for the distressing experience you had during your visit. I completely understand how upsetting it must have been to wait for so long, especially when your child was in pain. It's concerning to hear that you felt there was a lack of communication and care during this time. Every patient deserves to feel heard and well cared for, and I sincerely apologize if that wasn’t the case.

As nurses, we are able to provide basic analgesia to help manage pain, but for stronger pain relief, we rely on doctors to prescribe more potent medications. Sometimes, the doctors are tied up with emergency cases, which can unfortunately delay their ability to see other patients. We understand that this can be frustrating, especially in situations where quick pain management is needed.

While we strive to provide timely care for all our patients, we also face moments where we have to prioritize life-threatening situations, which may require the immediate attention of all our doctors and a large portion of the team in resuscitation areas. With the growing population and the increased demand for care, it can sometimes be challenging for our smaller night team to manage all cases effectively.

We truly try to be an approachable team and we enjoy our work, as we are dedicated to caring for our patients. I’m genuinely sorry that you felt this wasn’t the atmosphere during your visit.

If you’d like to discuss this matter further or have any more concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Tamara Martin Garcia

Emergency department sister

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