"A&E Experience"

My partner was asked to go to A+E by our GP with an accompanying letter detailing her past medication, allergies and the reason for her referral (Persistent chest infection over 3 months with various different anti-biotics and steriods not being effective, the doctor suspected Pnuemonia).

I realise on the day the A&E Department was very busy, however that night we saw 3 different doctors and the letter was clearly ignored later on. The first doctor said not to leave this department without antibiotics and would organise various tests (after 1. 5 hours of waiting to see them).

Sadly this doctor finished his shift shortly after this and I had to chase for the tests to be done besides routine bloods nothing had happened. After another delay we had a chest X-ray and we were told it was all clear and could go home, when we questioned that the previous doctor had said not to be discharged without antibiotics they prescribed a drug that my girlfriend is allergic too, they then prescribed medication that she has been on three times previously and it had not been effective. To me this shows they had not read her notes and this was very poor practice and dangerous.

They seemed rude and unapologetic and blamed the previous doctor for a poor hand-over to them. When we complained they refused to come back to see us and sent another doctor that treated us, and again had clearly not read her notes as they asked further irrelevant questions regarding why she was there.

I realise this was not an emergency or an accident but we were following instructions from our GP. We ended up leaving with no medication. During this she also breached during her visit which they mentioned a few times to us, which gave the impression they just wanted us out of the department.

The following day my partner was seen by our GP as an emergency, they were appalled at her treatment and prescribed new and stronger antibiotics which has appeared to work for the time being.