"At no point did it feel like the patient's voice was being heard"

A family member was seen in triage and, two hours later, directed to a minors cubicle with only a number and the instruction to sit and wait. This was an optometry examination room so did not have proper chair or bed, only an examination chair and a hard couch with no sheet or paper roll. We remained there for nearly another two hours without any communication or acknowledgment from staff. Despite presenting with severe pain, no pain relief was offered for over four hours.

When finally seen by the orthopaedic registrar, the experience was quite upsetting and uncomfortable. This staff member appeared dismissive of her symptoms and was notably rude. After the consultation, I overheard them make a comment at the desk to ED staff, implying that they can walk, apparently unaware that I was still behind the fabric curtain and could hear them. I feel this was both inappropriate and unprofessional.

There also seemed to be poor communication between the ED team and other clinical departments. Tasks were frequently forgotten or delayed, resulting in unnecessary confusion and lack of follow-through on essential care.

In total, we spent over 10 hours in the Emergency Department. Pain relief was only offered once, and due to repeated miscommunications, staff ended up focusing on unrelated issues, ultimately neglecting the patient’s primary concern. At no point did it feel like the patient's voice was being heard or their needs properly addressed.