"My visit to assessment unit"

I have severe asthma and bronchiectasis. I had very bad pain on my left side and shoulder, this pain felt like the pain I had before Xmas which was diagnosed as pleurisy by the respiratory doctors.

I phoned nhs 24 and was told they were sending paramedics, which they did, who came promptly and decided to take me to hospital.

I arrived and told the doc and nurse about my previous admissions in the last year with various infections (pneumonia and pleurisy) and that I took inhalers and nebuliser at home without any relief. They took some bloods and did ECG and came back and said no blood clots and other test fine, I was kept 'til early hours of this morning and then deemed fit to go home and maybe see my GP if the pain worsened and maybe he would recommend I could be referred to a clinic.

When I pointed out that I was under the respiratory dept for years and that I already took lots of antibiotics that your own doc can’t prescribe they said well I’m not a respiratory doctor but everything seems fine to me i.e. no blood clots. I said ok, but as there is severe weather in Glasgow at the moment and I arrived with my nightwear on, as I had been in bed all day, I went to the waiting room to phone for a taxi - to be told this could take hours as the weather was on a red alert.

I went back to the sister in charge and asked if there was anyway I could get any help to get home they told me the doctor has deemed you fit to go home so no there was nothing. I sat in the waiting room, I told them I had a Chronic lung condition but there was nothing they could do; no offer of a hot drink or anything.

I eventually got a taxi home thank god but what an experience my daughter is a nurse manager and I am a former nurse and I thought to do this on such a night with red alert weather warning was dreadful.