"Distressing experience"

I recently attended the Royal Children’s Emergency with my 1-year-old daughter, who had been unwell for several days. We waited over six hours in the department, through the middle of the night, yet were never seen by a doctor. I feel his left us in an extremely vulnerable position, especially as I was seeking urgent help for my child.

What was especially distressing was an incident involving a staff member, when I went to change my daughter’s diaper, they locked the toilet in front of me to stop me from going in. I found this humiliating and unnecessary, and it prevented me from meeting my baby’s most basic needs while she was unwell. No parent should be put in this position in a hospital setting, particularly in the middle of the night when there were no alternatives available.

Altogether, the lack of medical attention, the feeling of discrimination, and the treatment by staff I saw left me deeply disappointed. I left the hospital feeling unsupported and let down at a time when I needed help the most.

I am sharing this experience because I believe urgent improvements are needed so that families who come here in distress are treated with dignity, compassion, and timely care. Children deserve better, and parents should not have to go through what we did.