"Disappointing care"

I have serious concerns about the care my mum and I received during our recent visit to the Emergency Department, as well as the conditions in the waiting area. Unfortunately, this is not my first negative experience. In 2023, my son waited over nine hours in A&E while suffering from sepsis, and I am disappointed to see that little has improved since then.

On this occasion, I attended the department at 4:30 p.m. with my mum, who was in severe pain and vomiting. She has significant pre-existing medical conditions and a known history of bowel obstruction. 

After her initial triage (level 3), we waited for almost 10 hours before she was seen. During this time, I repeatedly raised concerns with the triage nurse that my mum's condition was deteriorating. Despite this, no one reassessed or reviewed her. When her observations were eventually repeated, it was only because of the length of her wait, not in response to our concerns.

I made it clear that my mum was vomiting blue-green intestinal fluid and had a strong history of bowel obstruction, yet I was told her observations were fine and that it did not appear to be an obstruction. My mum has since been admitted with a confirmed bowel obstruction and remains very unwell.

I am particularly concerned that triage decisions appear to be based solely on NEWS scores, which do not always reflect the severity of a patient’s condition. My mum's observations were repeatedly normal, yet her condition was serious. I would actually question the accuracy of the respiratory rate recorded, as no one appeared to observe her long enough to record this properly. The triage nurse barely looked at or spoke to my mum, the observations were taken by a nursing assistant, who was kind and compassionate, but the nurse did not engage with the patient at all.

The situation in the waiting room was unacceptable. It was dirty and uncomfortable, and I did not see a domestic staff member cleaning during the entire 10 hours we were there. Basic patient needs were not being met, and dignity and compassion were lacking. My mum was continuously vomiting with no staff available to assist or even show concern I had no idea where to put the full sick bowls. Many patients were visibly distressed, and some were leaving before being seen. The atmosphere felt unsafe, and I am genuinely worried that serious harm could happen in that waiting area.

When my mum was finally moved onto a trolley in the main emergency department, the difference in care was noticeable. The staff there were compassionate and attentive, and it appeared that the area was adequately staffed. I therefore do not understand why the triage area, where the sickest patients first arrive, is so under resourced, while the adjoining department seems to have sufficient staff with one staff member at the nurses station doing their turas but you have 2 nurses next door triaging over 80 patients.

I am extremely disappointed with the way my mum's condition was handled. If a patient is triaged to be seen within a certain timeframe and is still waiting 10 hours later, the original assessment becomes meaningless…

This experience has left me really concerned about patient safety and dignity within the Emergency Department. I hope that by raising this complaint, improvements can be made to prevent other families from going through what we did. I know the waiting times are unavoidable and patients in resus take priority, of course they do, but I feel more can be done to improve the department. My son's sepsis was missed in 2023, so it’s clear the triage system is not working.