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Attending A&E

Posted By Jinx88

"Attending A&E"

About: NHS 24 / NHS 24 (111 service) University Hospital Wishaw / Emergency Department

(as a parent/guardian),

I recently attended Wishaw General A&E with my nephew. The waiting room has changed a bit with new self service sign in - firstly while the system works well, there should be at least one unit that has a chair at it. I am disabled and have difficulty standing for long periods of time so this was an issue for me personally as it takes significantly longer to check in on these units compared to speaking with a physical receptionist.

Secondly the seating has been changed to metal chairs with no cushion. We had an extremely uncomfortable 3.5 hours wait. I ended up having to take pain killers  due to the pain the seats were causing. Several other people in the waiting room said they were uncomfortable. I suspect this has been deliberate so people don’t want to stay to be seen. With waiting times of 4-5 hours it is completely unacceptable to expect patients to sit on these for that length of time. 

Apart from these two things, the service was excellent. We had been turned away from a hospital near where the injury happened and completely dismissed by NHS 24, who refused to speak with us as we were parked up in a car.  Once he was seen, the process was very quick and we are happy with the outcome. 

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Responses

Response from Stephanie W, Patient Experience Officer, Nursing and Care, NHS 24 last month
Stephanie W
Patient Experience Officer, Nursing and Care,
NHS 24

Manages patient feedback

Submitted on 12/09/2025 at 15:49
Published on Care Opinion at 15:49

picture of Stephanie W

Dear Jinx88,

Thank you for sharing your story on Care Opinion.

I reply on behalf of NHS 24. I was sorry to learn of the service you and your nephew experienced upon contacting NHS 24. Please be assured this is not the experience we wish for callers.

I would like the opportunity to review your contact with 111 in more detail to establish if your nephew’s care could have been managed more efficiently. If you would like us to review this matter, or if you have any other feedback relating to your call to the 111 service, could I kindly ask you to contact us at Patient.Experience@nhs24.scot.nhs.uk, including your Care Opinion username and we would be pleased to look into this further.

I note that University Hospital Wishaw has been tagged in your story and they would be best placed to respond regarding the other issues mentioned within your feedback.

I am glad to hear that once your nephew was seen, the process was quick and I do hope he is doing well.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Best wishes to you both,

Stephanie

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Response from Julie Coyle, Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 4 weeks ago
Julie Coyle
Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 24/09/2025 at 12:17
Published on Care Opinion at 12:17

Dear Jinx88,

Thank you for taking the time to share your recent experience of our Emergency Department. We truly appreciate your feedback and are pleased to hear that, once your nephew was seen, the care provided was excellent and the outcome was positive.

We are, however, very sorry to learn of the discomfort and challenges you faced during your visit, particularly with the self-service check-in system and the seating in the waiting area.

Your point about the lack of seating at the check-in kiosks is well taken. Accessibility is a priority for us, and we understand how difficult it must have been for you to stand for an extended period. We will raise this with our facilities team to explore options for adding a seated kiosk to better support patients and visitors with mobility needs.

Regarding the waiting room chairs, we regret that they caused you pain and discomfort. The seating was updated with durability and hygiene in mind, but we recognise that comfort — especially during long waits — is equally important. Your feedback, along with similar comments from other patients, will be shared with our estates and patient experience teams to review whether improvements can be made.

Thank you again for your feedback. It helps us identify areas for improvement and ensures we continue to provide compassionate and accessible care to all who need it.

Best Wishes,

Julie.

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