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Suffering a head injury

Posted By camelopardaliscd73

"Suffering a head injury"

About: Aberdeen Royal Infirmary / Emergency Medicine Emergency Medicine / Minor Injuries Unit Scottish Ambulance Service / Emergency Ambulance

(as the patient),

I suffered a head injury that required the emergency services. The ambulance arrived and I was treated well and with dignity. My wound was dressed and I was transported to hospital where we had to wait for nearly an hour in the car park.

Once I was handed over to a member of staff, who carried out some tests to determine the severity of my head injury. I had an open wound to the skull of approx 10cm that needed stitching. They then took me to the minor injuries unit where I was left for three and a half hours before being seen by a nurse.

The nurse seemed shocked that I had been left waiting so long with an open wound that was constantly bleeding into my bandage. They told me that the notes written by the member of staff simply said - cut to the head. They were surprised that they weren't told of the severity of the injury as to be able to deal with me promptly.

I have no complaint about the ambulance or the nurse that took an hour and a half to sew up my head...but I am angry that the member of staff did not pass on the accurate information needed. They simply did not inform the nurses correctly and I feel they are wholly responsible for my shoddy treatment.

This left me with an uncleaned wound that still had chips of paint in it that could easily have caused infection. No one should be passed over or treated in this manner. Three and a half hours of watching people with seemingly less severe injuries than my own get treated ahead of me while I was left bleeding and unattended has given me a woeful feeling towards the NHS and its fitness for purpose! In my experience, it is simply nowhere near good enough!

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Responses

Response from Jill Reid, Emergency Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Care, NHS Grampian 3 weeks ago
Jill Reid
Emergency Nurse Practitioner, Emergency Care,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 26/09/2025 at 11:50
Published on Care Opinion at 11:50

picture of Jill Reid

Dear camelopardaliscd73,

Thank you for taking the time to tell us your story. I am sorry to hear that you had an extended wait to be seen and that there was not a detailed handover within the department about the extent of your wound. I would appreciate if you could email me directly so that I can gain further information and investigate this further: jill.reid3@nhs.scot

Many thanks

Jill

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Response from Senior Charge Nurse, Emergency Department - Unscheduled Care, NHS Grampian 3 weeks ago
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 26/09/2025 at 12:30
Published on Care Opinion at 12:30

Dear camelopardaliscd73

Thank you for taking the time to post your story on Care opinion and I am so very sorry to read of your experience. The lack of communication you describe is not the standard we would expect for our patients.

We are keen that staff reflect on patient stories so we can improve the care they offer in the future. To feedback to this nurse directly, I would require some further information from you. Should you like the senior nursing team to take this forward, please email

gram.DL-AberdeenEMSCNs@nhs.scot.

Kind regards

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Response from Marie Kennedy, Patient Experience Manager, Corporate Affairs, Scottish Ambulance Service 3 weeks ago
Marie Kennedy
Patient Experience Manager, Corporate Affairs,
Scottish Ambulance Service

Submitted on 29/09/2025 at 10:53
Published on Care Opinion at 10:53

picture of Marie Kennedy

Dear camelopardaliscd73,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I see that your feedback relates to a number of services. I'm responding on behalf of the Scottish Ambulance Service.

It’s reassuring to hear that the ambulance crew treated you with dignity and care.

I’m sorry to learn about the delay and discomfort you experienced after arriving at hospital. I understand how distressing it must have been to wait with a significant head injury and I appreciate you highlighting the importance of accurate handover information.

If you're willing to share more details — such as your name, the date and time of the call out and the address it related to — please email us at sas.feedback@nhs.scot and include your Care Opinion username. This will help us match your story with the crew and ensure your feedback reaches the right people.

Thank you again for raising these concerns. We’re committed to learning from your experience and working with our partners to improve the care pathway for patients.

Warm wishes,

Marie

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