"A&E terrible, cannot cope with demands of area..."

I was brought into A&E on Sunday night, due to being extremely low & unwell & took a large amount of medication, triggered by a number of reasons but I would say I have post natal depression.

I was not in a good place. I was seen by nurses pretty quickly, who I couldn’t fault. I was then put in room in A & E and left this was 10pm. I was told I would need bloods at 12am, that came and went. I then passed the board on my way to the toilet and turned out my bloods weren’t till 2am also came and went. Around 2.30am a Doctor came to see me, who assumed I had had bloods taken. I informed him I had not. He told me I was going to be admitted for treatment. I therefore told my friend I would be fine and to go home as it was extremely late and I believed I would soon be on a ward.

I was in a room with a tiny sofa and two chairs. I could not get comfy to sleep which was all I wanted to do. I was also very emotional, I wasn’t checked on at any point, I had my observations taken once in 6 hours. Around 4am somebody came into do my bloods. I was extremely distressed by that point and she was very abrupt and showed no empathy or compassion at the fact I was breaking my heart crying. She then said I was wasting her time as I wouldn’t let her do my bloods when I was crying so much I couldn’t catch my breath. I then decided to leave A&E due to her attitude. I returned a short while later after a lovely nurse came into A&E waiting room and got me.

I had my bloods taken, and then they hooked me to a drip. I then didn’t see anyone for ages, during which time the drip finished was making a lot of noise, I was then sick, and my head and face started swelling. I asked for an anti hystamine which took ages to arrive. I had to go out to inform them I had been sick.

I then sat for further time. Then two very nice nurses came to change my drip. And brought me a trolley to lie down this was at 6am. I was left with sheets and a blanket even though I potentially was a suicide risk and not checked on till around 8.30.

All in all I was in the same room for 13hours I eventually got on a ward at 11am that day. I can not fault the ward or the staff.

I feel cramlington A&E are not staffed or equipped to provide the service that they should be. Patient care is poor. They were apparently going to get Psychiatry liaison to come and see me in A&E and even though I requested them twice when I did see them eventually before discharge they informed me they had only been rang by the ward and not contacted when I was admitted into A&E. Some of the staff can not be faulted and I understand the demands however my experience was awful and some of their attitudes were horrendous. I was in an extremely bad place and I feel I was more at risk in A&E due to poor care and lack of understanding.

If I was to attend A&E again I would be going to the RVI.