"A&E experience"

I attended Antrim Area Hospital A&E at 6pm on a Friday night recently with severe pain in my right side & vomiting.  I waited 45 minutes to see the triage nurse & get my bloods taken. Sent back to the packed A&E waiting area.

At 7.45pm a nurse called me, then they realised I had not come on their computer to see the doctor, it was because my bloods had never been collected & taken to the lab one hour after they had been taken!!! No apology given to me, just go back to waiting area & wait, told bloods be done in 11/2 - 2 hours from now!!!

An hour later got sent to ED minors waiting area, saw a junior doctor at 10 pm, then sent for chest x-ray & ECG. Saw same junior doctor at 11pm, told I had suspected gallbladder issue & would need an ultrasound to diagnose, but had to wait to see consultant to get this organised.

Sat for a further 3 hours til 2am, asked how long before seeing consultant, was told could not give timescale as they were in theatre. Asked did this mean I would sit there all night, told possibly, so at 2.15am I was offered painkillers & antibiotics & to go home, if symptoms got worse or remained to come back.

I asked if an ultrasound could be organised for me to come back the next day, told by junior doctor they couldn’t organise this, had to be the consultant & that ultrasounds could not be completed at night!!!

So basically after over 8 hours I was sent home undiagnosed & with zero follow up !!!

I have ended up paying privately to get an ultrasound completed, diagnosed my issue & seeing a consultant for a treatment plan.  

I really wonder why I pay tax & national insurance when this is the service offered by our NHS. In my experience, it’s a total disgrace.