"Nightmare Experience"

My experience of stoke A&E was nothing short of a surreal nightmare. I suffered a type of migraine with symptoms similar to a stroke whilst out celebrating a friends birthday and was rushed to A&E. Upon arriving I was met with a disdainful attitude, despite my obvious distress and symptoms. My husband was asked aggressively to leave, he was not aggravating anyone and was simply and calmly asking where he would be able to wait for me. I was seen by a dr who diagnosed me wrongly and was judgemental because I was wearing a party dress and had 'had a drink'. My symptoms were deafness in one ear, blindness in one eye, complete loss of the use of my right arm, confusion, slipping in and out of consciousness, struggling to form speech and agonising head pain. I was then transported to a small room where I was sat in a chair and told to wait. I waited 7 hrs in total, I was frightened and alone and I didn't want to be there any more than the staff did, who were failing to hide their misery to be working that night. It took 5 hours to be seen and the whole time I was treated like I was in the way and of no importance, I didn't matter to them. The staff wouldn't even get me a glass of water even though I was obviously unwell, in which I was forced to struggle around A&E alone with no assistance to find water. My basic human rights were none existent and I felt a strong sense that Covid-19 was more important than my health and my life. The second Dr and the Neurologist that I saw were explanatory and good at their jobs, in which the the neurologist confirmed that I had suffered a type of migraine that was capable of causing the same effects of a stroke. I felt finally I was getting some help with my condition and couldn't fault these members of staff. Even with the incompetence of the receptionists not putting a wristband on me and a porter having to take me all the way back to reception after hours of waiting so that I could be issued a wristband to be formally recognised as a patient. All staff encountered (except the second dr and the neurologist) were horrifically narrow-minded, did not care, had a bad attitude, were snappy and short with me and were extremely unhelpful to myself and my husband. It was confirmed that I had all of the symptoms of somebody who had suffered a stroke, yet I was unwelcome and told I was 'drunk'. There was no sympathy, only hours of uncomfortable solitary pain and upset with no updates as to what was happening. I became hopeless in this place, it felt like the entire process was built to mentally harm me and do the opposite of help me and the feeling haunted me for days after. I am not somebody who speaks badly of others but I can't stay quiet, the experience was too distressing. I hope I never have to visit this dreadful place ever again.

My arrival date was between the 5/9/20 and the 6/9/20 between 11pm and 1am.