"Overall, a positive experience"

Overall, this should be taken a positive experience, I got the care I needed and it was to a high standard. I want to share my story to help find ways in which the experience could be improved for others.

At the start of October, I started experiencing very sharp pains in my abdomen, and passed a black sticky poo. After attempting to contact my GP for an emergency appointment, and trying to self medicate for the pain, I phoned 111 who after listening to my symptoms refered me to my local A&E.

Around 9:45am I arrived at Stoke Mandeville A&E, the nursing staff on reception, who on listening to my symptoms, decided that the walk in GP route was the correct starting point.

I had some initial observations taken at around 10am, and after a reasonably short waiting period, I saw a doctor who had some concerns about how much pain I was experiencing and where it was occurring. I wasn't told at this point what was suspected, nor exactly what was happening next, which did cause some anxiety. I also wasn't able to be given any extra pain relief as I'd already taken paracetamol. They asked if I'd anything to eat or drink, which I confirmed I hadn't, and suggested that I should stay like that until I'd been fully assessed by a medic.

After another 30 minutes or so, due to a miscommunication, I was moved over to the A&E waiting area and told to sit down to wait. I hadn't eaten or had anything to drink since yesterday evening, and was getting thirsty and hungry, but the Dr had said not to take anything.

Around 1pm, I asked the receptionist if there was any way to get some more pain relief. To their credit, they did try and track down what was happening, and advised me that I was the next patient due to be seen by one of the A&E doctors.

Around 1:30pm, feeling very much in pain as the paracetamol was wearing off (and to be honest, hadn't much helped), I was seen by a very thorough and attentive doctor, who did struggle a little due to lack of assessment rooms / bays available. He listened to the relevant history, prescribed pain relief and advised that the nurse would be able to dispense it when I had my bloods taken.

I was shown back to the A&E waiting area for another short wait.

Around 2pm, my bloods were taken and I encountered my first real "problem" point, the nurse who took my bloods refused to dispense the pain relief I'd been written up for, stating it wasn't their job.  Bloods were taken and sent off, and I was sent back to the waiting area.

Around 2:30pm, the doctor came out for another patient, and noticed I was sitting there very quietly, feeling very thirsty and in pain, but afraid to leave the waiting area as I didn't know what was happening next or when. He apologised that he was still awaiting on the blood work and I told him I hadn't had the pain relief. He seemed genuinely angry that it hadn't happened, and promised to do his best to help.

15 minutes later a nurse arrived with the prescribed pain relief.

Around 3:30pm, I was updated by the doctor that they needed a CT scan and would likely need to admit me due to suspected appendicitis, and around 5:30pm the CT scan was performed.

Around 6:30pm a member of the surgical team was free to review the scan, and confirmed the diagnosis

Around 8:30pm a bed was freed on the Surgical Assessment unit, and around 9pm I was advised that surgery wasn't going to occur immediately, so I could finally have something to eat and drink (nearly 24 hours without food or water) until midnight.

From there, my trip through the surgical process was pretty well controlled, though again I did have long periods where I couldn't eat or drink as they weren't sure if there was free space in theatre due to emergency surgery.

My key points to make were

1) Review and revise the nil by mouth approach in A&E, I don't believe patients should be prohibited from eating and drinking until surgery is definitely scheduled, and in general it makes us more angry and impatient.

2) Make pain relief more accessible, perhaps consider a dispensary point so that patients can collect their own prescribed pain relief.

3) In an ideal world, more information about where you are in the process. None of the times spent waiting were unexpected, and whilst my condition was serious, it was also stable. However, being stuck in the department unable to move for fear of missing being called means that you can't even take a short walk to relax or to distract you, or to stay in touch with your loved ones.