"Initial experience in A& E"

My GP sent me into A&E via ambulance in considerable pain and feeling very sick for . What turned out later to be acute cholecystitis. My daughter accompanied me. Ambulance staff were professional and very caring. On being wheeled into A&E My wheel chair was parked against a wall facing the nurses’ bay where there were about 6 members of staff standing around talking . The ambulance paramedic handed over what I presumed to be my file to a nurse in the corridor, said goodbye wishing me the best then left,

My daughter and I waited and waited for what seemed ages as I was finding it very difficult to keep still with the pain. When, after about 20 minutes , according to my daughter, no one had come near us or even acknowledged that we were there, I couldn’t stand it any longer and struggling out of the chair took a few steps towards the bay opposite and in a loud voice asked them when they were going to help with the pain. None of the 5 or 6 in the bay reacted initially then a nurse broke away from the group and came and explained In a kindly manner that I would be seen just as soon as a cubicle was free. I should like to recommend that in future all patients are acknowledged when they are brought in and told What is going to happen. The fact that I had told initially the ambulance staff that my pain level was 6 was no excuse for being dumped there without anyone taking the slightest notice. My daughter too was very shocked .Please make it a more reassuring experience for other patients in the future, it would take so little. Please note also that on the whole I was very impressed by the care received in the rest of the time I spent in A&E and in Ward 15.