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Care Opinion

Face mask

Posted By Jacqui73

"Face mask"

About: Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital

(as a service user),

I entered a Northumberland A& E dept with my son as he had an reoccuring chest complaint & very shortness of breath. We were greated by someone giving out advice at front entrance. They were very abrupt in telling my son not asking telling him to go & wash his hands & change into a hospital mask. They did not give myself any advice other than go over there & wash your hands, I am exempt from wearing a face mask & was clearly displaying my card & lanyard. We did what they asked then joined a queue for reception.

After about 15mins a Physician came out of the dept asking if any one was there just for advice. All 9 of us in the queue were there to book in. They then re-enteted the dept. After a further 15 mins they reappeard & spoke very nastily to a young lad sitting waiting telling him if he wasnt a patient he would have to leave & his friend to move along the seats provided so that no-one could sit next to him. The lad left with a few choice words along with it.

The physician then re-entered the A& E dept only to about turn walk past me (clearly displaying my lanyard) then cut across myself & the gentleman behind me, they then poked my arm telling me that no-one was exempt in a hospital & put that on handing me a mask. I politley told them I cldnt wear a mask as I have COPD & Anxiety, they replied no-one is exempt in a hospital & if I refused to wear it I would have to leave. now given I am a carer to my son that has adult ADHD & I have health conditions that clearly state I am exempt I was utterly appalled that they treat me in that manner in front of others & basically put my health at risk by making me wear a mask.

Well unfortunatley because of the way my son is he was already agitated by the wait then hearing his mother being spoken to in that manner also knowing the mask would make me breathless & probably cause another Ashama attack he about turned & walked out. It has taken me 3 hrs to calm him down & he really needs medical attention but is refusing to seek help incase he is confronted by this physician again. I was utterlly disgusted by their attitude & being a Carer over 20 yrs the 6 C's in Care were not used today by that person. So where do I go from here because my son needs assistance & I cant wear a mask so what do I do because by their attitude I cant take him to hosp.

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Responses

Response from Tracy Bruce, Head of Patient Experience, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 2 years ago
Tracy Bruce
Head of Patient Experience,
Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 10/06/2021 at 17:12
Published on Care Opinion on 11/06/2021 at 10:15

Dear Jacqui7,

After reading your story I felt it was important to reply straight away. I was sorry to read your review and to learn how your visit to The Northumbria hospital made you feel. There are a number of issues you have raised and we would like to do all we can to look into this.

I would be so grateful if you could please let me know the date and time of your attendance at hospital. This will enable the senior teams in A&E to look at who was on duty and to investigate what happened. You can email us privately at patient.experience@nhct.nhs.uk

I would like to reassure you that if you or your son require medical attention, you can always call 111 for advice on where to go. If it is a medical emergency and The Northumbria Hospital is recommended we will be there to support, care and treat. We would naturally expect our patients to be asked to wear masks at all times so that we can keep them safe - we would always want this request to be made in a respectful way and for patients to understand our reasons for doing so. If for any reason wearing a mask is not possible, we will make suggestions on the best way to maintain patient safety, whilst ensuring patients have access to the healthcare they need. I‘m sorry that this has not happened for you on this occasion.

I will share your comments with the emergency care team in the meantime, but please do get in touch – I will look out for your email.

Take care

Tracy

Tracy Bruce

Head of Patient Experience

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Update posted by Jacqui73 (a service user)

The staff member gave me no explanation or alternative but to wear a mask. If wearing a mask was that easy to me I would of gladly worn it till told otherwise but I cannot wear a mask so felt because of these actions no alternative but to leave as my son became very distressed to the fact he has seen the outcome before after trying to wear a mask. Like I said before my son suffers with ADHD & Anxiety & the actions of staff started a rollercoaster of problems & agitated the problem we initially arrived with.

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