"My daughter's experience – deeply disappointing and worrying"

I wanted to share the experience my daughter and I had at Kings Mill Hospital A&E recently, because while we’ve previously had great care from Kings Mill, this visit left us upset, concerned, and frankly very let down.

My daughter is an athlete, so she’s extremely aware of her body and knows when something is seriously wrong. During training the night before our visit, she took a bad fall and injured her neck. She couldn’t move it at all and was in considerable pain — visibly distressed, and close to tears, which is very unlike her.

We arrived at A&E at around 9am. It was quiet, so we expected she’d be seen fairly quickly. Sadly, the care we received was anything but prompt or thorough. The triage nurse was very abrupt and showed no compassion, despite my daughter’s clear discomfort. After triage, we were sent back to the waiting room, where things got worse. My daughter started experiencing numbness in her legs and tingling in her feet, which I immediately reported to reception.

Eventually, we were seen by a doctor. But to our shock, no basic checks were done. No observations, no neurological exam, not even her vitals were taken. The doctor briefly spoke to my daughter, then told us it was likely a sprain and she should take paracetamol. No scan, no X-ray, no follow-up advice, and no reassurance. We left three hours later feeling completely dismissed and unsupported — and my daughter still couldn’t move her neck.

I want to stress: I’m not claiming she has a broken neck, but I do feel her symptoms — including pain, total lack of mobility, and numbness — should have been taken far more seriously. 

Normally, I would praise Kings Mill — they’ve always looked after my other daughter wonderfully. But our experience at A&E on this occasion was poor. My daughter felt ignored, and as a parent, I left feeling anxious, gaslit and unheard.

I really hope this feedback is taken seriously. Young people — especially athletes like my daughter — deserve to be treated with attention and respect. Basic assessments, compassionate care, and proper reassurance should be the absolute minimum, not the exception.

Thank you for reading.