Care Opinion

Text size

Theme

Language

Videos in BSL or ISL
Help with language translation
Help with reading or listening

Waiting times

Posted By Frustratedserviceuser

"Waiting times"

About: University Hospital Wishaw / Emergency Department

(as the patient),

Honestly I think NHS in general need to work on their time management.

I was experiencing chest pains and was advised to see the A&E dept . Bloods taken at 3pm and then no response afterwards. I sat in the reception area for close to 10 hours till I had to leave cause clearly it's not a life threatening issue.

I understand prioritising the sicker patients but it's not fair on the rest of us because there's always going to be someone sicker coming in and that pushes me down the line. 

There should be a dedicated team to deal with minor or less urgent patients so that we too can go home. Now I probably have to go waste another day in there.

I just wanna know if I'm okay or not. 

More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Julie Coyle, Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw, NHS Lanarkshire 2 weeks ago
Julie Coyle
Senior Nurse - Emergency Care, University Hospital Wishaw,
NHS Lanarkshire

Submitted on 11/11/2025 at 08:54
Published on Care Opinion at 08:54

Dear Frustratedserviceuser,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. I’m truly sorry to hear how frustrating and distressing your visit to our Emergency Department was, especially while experiencing chest pain — that must have been incredibly worrying.

I completely understand your concerns about the long wait and the lack of communication after your bloods were taken. While we do our best to prioritise patients based on clinical urgency, I appreciate how difficult it is to sit for hours without clarity or reassurance, and I agree that everyone deserves timely care and updates.

Your feedback is important, and I’ll make sure it’s shared with the team so we can reflect on how we communicate and support patients during busy times. We are actively working on ways to improve flow and reduce waiting times, including better pathways for patients with less urgent needs — and your experience highlights why that matters so much.

If you’re still experiencing symptoms or have concerns about your results, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your GP or NHS24 for follow-up

Thank you again for raising this — your voice matters, and we’re listening.

Best wishes,

Julie.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k