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"A&E visit: self-harm lack of compassion"

About: Diana, Princess Of Wales Hospital

Firstly I feel I need to apologise for having self-harmed (again). Only 2 members of staff (thank you, and member of staff on reception - thank you) showed any compassion and treated me with dignity. I was hearing voices and the waiting area was making this worse, so asked if I could be placed somewhere quiet, a nurse, I heard huff and puff in exasperation as they found me a cubicle. I was then told off like a child as I had sat in the wrong place and told to move about 1-1.5 metres in the room, this felt like a power trip and I did say I'm not a child. Further exasperation, as the nurse explained they needed to triage me in this exact spot in the cubicle (which was further away from the sink and bed/couch). Dr wasn't great either, can't recall them introducing themselves, in fact only one did from memory. I don't know whether this conversation outside the curtain was about me, but it felt like it was from the language. It was between 2 members of staff discussing and saying I don't want to have to sort "her out ..." , "you do it, no you do it ...", I was sat there hearing all this and felt like a complete nuisance to the staff. Then a nurse comes in with trolley and attempts to sterile strip as per Dr. instructions, I said I can leave and do it, I had only attended as I thought I needed stitches, sorry for wasting your time. They said, no you're not wasting my time, let's have a look, due to the loss of blood each time they tried to sterile strip, they explain they are going to check with Dr. re stitches - Dr. no, no stitches. Another member of staff, maybe advanced nurse practioners, no introduction. It's pretty clear that I need stitches or staples, so they get stapler and I ask if it is possible to have stitches as for me it heals better, last time staples didn't keep wound together - doesn't respond and discards stapler. Both staff use sterile strips, which was ok for some, but unfortunately not all the wounds.

I was concerned that it would open up due to depth and length of cuts. I ask what do I do, if this happens, sterile strip it at home. I fear that it will all just come open later in the evening, but what can I do?

I'm told to go back into the waiting room, yes the one that I was struggling greatly with and wait for liaison/crisis. I was correct it's all opened up, blood all over. Sadly, I self-harm enough at present, to know when stitches work better, hence why I sought help at the A&E department. I left feeling awful and wasn't able to speak meaningfully to liaison/crisis in part to the way I had just been treated, I just literally wanted to escape as fast as I could. 6C's, NICE guidelines etc. I personally believe weren't applicable to me as I had self-harmed. Your staff have no idea what is going on in my life, nor my earlier life, but 2 members in particular were judgemental, in my opinion.

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