"No help"

Following extensive surgery in another hospital I came in by ambulance with out of control pain and breathlessness. A partially paralysed diaphragm was diagnosed and I was given pain relief. I was told point blank that as they were an A&E service they don’t deal with this kind of thing and the nurse was extremely stroppy in trying to contact the other hospital to get advice. Sent home with no advice. Too weak to walk to the pharmacy ( it was very clear that I was totally incapacitated as I lay down the whole time and even then with difficulty), so I requested a wheelchair. Senior nurse seemed to think I was eating because the nurse on the observation ward kept bringing me food but if course I couldn’t eat it. I was in such extreme distress that another duty nurse came towards me in the lobby and help me whilst I shook and moaned in pain. Yes that is how bad it is. 1 1/2 week later phoned the A&E department due to still not being able to tolerate the pain levels despite help from GPs and more medications. Told point blank again that they don’t deal with pain and now it is an ongoing matter. I’m not entirely sure what the point of your service is. I am at home in agony if you fancy calling me. I think I would be better off in a third world country. I had a second x-ray done and yes my lung is still not right and is elevated but because I haven’t got pneumonia that is the only thing they report on and deal with. What an earth are you doing?!! Where is the help.? Sorry but I’m at the stage where I’m pretty desperate now. I am only three weeks post surgery. I can see how people commit suicide and how cancer patients like my sister-in-law end up screaming in pain at home with no help. I have developed a very different view of the NHS through this experience.