I ended up in a& e after having taken an overdose of painkillers. After being seen by Dr, bloods were taken and I was told it could a while for results because they get processed at another hospital on weekends. Meanwhile I think I was seen by my nurse probably once for about ten seconds, moved to an anti - suicide room next to nurses station, presumably to be kept an eye on. Still no one actually came to see if I was okay, as in basic human communication skills which can often lift a person up.
Three hours passed and was then told that the staff forgot to send the bloods so were still sitting in a& e. I was then told I could go home if I wanted and they would phone me if I needed admitted for IV reversal therapy. First of all, no one queried if I lived alone (I do) and secondly I was complaining of right upper quadrant pain so they sent home someone with potential acute liver failure.
I'm a health professional but in that moment I was the patient and I was very vulnerable and mentally unwell. When I got home I sat up waiting to be phoned... 4 hours passed so I phoned a& e myself and got a random dr who said my bloods were fine and offered no follow up or advice. I then went to sleep only to be woken up by the dr who actually saw me that night phoning to tell me my bloods were fine. As I already knew that, my only concern then was the lack of communication between the staff that might.
I understand a& e is busy with physically unwell patients. But I'm a good person who was reaching out for help and I not only got no support whilst there - not even a chat for 5 mins with an understanding nurse - I was sent home alone after admitting to attempting suicide. I was also offered no further support. Luckily I'm a proactive person who has dealt with depression for a long time and still have a bit of fight left in me therefore I have sought outside help and am getting slightly better. But please if something can be done here, it has to be that staff don't just act like they don't attach stigma to people with MH conditions for the sake of looking inclusive - I ask that staff seriously address the way they cope with looking after and attending to patients like me. The health board acts like it doesn't stigmatise but in my time of need I was severely let down. I don't think this would be the case had I walked in with a ruptured aortic aneurysm.
"No further support after overdose"
About: University Hospital Ayr / Accident & Emergency University Hospital Ayr Accident & Emergency KA6 6DX
Posted by aram (as ),
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