Text size

Theme

Language

"Unacceptable level of care"

About: Scottish Ambulance Service / Emergency Ambulance University Hospital Wishaw / Emergency Department University Hospital Wishaw / Trauma and Orthopaedics (14- 16)

(as a relative),

After a nine hour wait for an ambulance my husband was admitted to A&E via the ortho team, where he lay for 15hrs on a trolley before being moved to an overflow/surge ward.

We are now about 36hrs in and he has seen a doctor once, 6hrs after admission, while still on the trolley and that's it. No other doctor input.

The doctor did not write up notes suitable for A&E nurses to actually provide pain relief, writing only analgesia - not what/when/how. As you can imagine this caused no end of problems.

There has been an absolute lack of communication or help, with no nurse we've spoken to having any real detail, knowledge, or for a long time, notes of my husband's case.

An MRI was ordered and has been read, we have been told for almost a full day now that someone from ortho will be around soon to discuss. There is an outcome, a nurse who probably shouldn't have, has given brief details but said the consultant does need to explain/discuss.

Not one nurse has actually managed to raise a consultant, or despite multiple requests, actually get a doctor to speak to a patient.

In our experience, there is an absolute failure of care for patients in this department, it is appalling the level of pain and fear patients are being left with - and nursing staff aren't even empowered to help.

The nursing staff, CSAs, porter team, etc have all been fantastic but their hands are tied, they can't actually help patients when ortho won't help them.
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Marie Kennedy, Patient Experience Manager, Corporate Affairs, Scottish Ambulance Service last month
Marie Kennedy
Patient Experience Manager, Corporate Affairs,
Scottish Ambulance Service
Submitted on 25/08/2025 at 11:21
Published on Care Opinion at 11:21


picture of Marie Kennedy

Dear sunny74,

Thank you for writing in to provide feedback. I see that you have provided feedback for a number of NHS services. I am responding on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS). I'm deeply sorry to hear about your husband's recent need for an ambulance and emergency care. This must have been a very scary experience for both of you and I'm also sorry to hear that the standard of care that he received fell short of your expectations.

If it would be helpful to discuss the care provided on behalf of the SAS further then we would be more than happy to do so. If you can send an email to sas.feedback@nhs.scot for the team to pick up. If you do so we would need to know the date, time and address that the Ambulance attended and your husband's name. If you do decide to do this, would you be so kind as to make reference to your CareOpinion username so that the team can easily locate your story and share it with the crew.

I wish you and your husband all the very best and thanks again for providing feedback.

Kind regards,

Marie

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Response from Julie Coyle, Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire last month
Julie Coyle
Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire
Submitted on 25/08/2025 at 17:12
Published on Care Opinion at 17:12


Dear Sunny74,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. I want to begin by expressing my sincere apologies for the distress and discomfort your husband has endured during his admission to University Hospital Wishaw. What you’ve described falls short of the standards of care and communication we aim to provide, and I deeply regret the impact this has had on you both.

I understand that your husband waited an extended period for ambulance transfer, followed by a prolonged stay on a trolley in A&E, and that there has been a lack of timely medical input and communication from the orthopaedic team. I also acknowledge your concerns regarding inadequate documentation for pain management and the resulting delays in care.

Please be assured that your feedback has been taken seriously. I have shared your concerns with the relevant clinical leads, including the Emergency Department and Orthopaedics, so that we can review the circumstances and identify where improvements must be made. We are committed to ensuring that patients receive timely, compassionate, and coordinated care, and it is clear that in this instance, we did not meet that commitment.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. Your feedback is vital in helping us improve our services and prevent similar experiences for other patients.

Best Wishes,

Julie.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k