"Left feeling humiliated"

I went to Antrim Area Hospital A&E after suffering over 100 seizures in one day. Instead of being treated with care and dignity, I was left sitting in the waiting room where I collapsed twice. On one occasion, it was other patients who came to help me. Another time, staff dragged me up by my clothes, which was degrading and frightening.

One of the most upsetting moments was when a staff member walked straight past me while I was in the middle of a seizure. I think because staff believed my seizures were functional/non-epileptic, I was dismissed and ignored, even though seizures are always frightening and unsafe no matter the cause.

My mum had to sit with me all night, trying to keep me safe without any real support from staff. At one point, I fell on her during a seizure, which put her at serious risk too. We were both left unsafe and unsupported in a hospital environment where we should have been protected.

I do want to acknowledge that despite the overall lack of care, there were a few staff members who were pleasant and understanding. Sadly, they either weren’t in a position to help me or seemed restricted by the high demands on the department. Unfortunately, the staff who were directly responsible for my care came across as careless, disinterested, and lacking in empathy. I can’t say if this was due to individual attitudes or wider staffing and resource issues, but the impact on me was the same — I felt dehumanised.

This experience has left me traumatised, humiliated, and scared to ever return to A&E. I hope by sharing this, staff will reflect on how they treat vulnerable people and that changes will be made so no one else has to go through what I and my mum experienced that night.