"Ambulance service"

Recently I was very unwell which is the subject of other posts on this site regards being very let down by my GP practice. Due to being unable to get a doctor to attend my home, I had to resort to contacting ambulance control.

On initially speaking with ambulance control I was advised I would be called back to be triaged. Unfortunately I did not receive a call back and after about an hour I had to recontact ambulance. This was compounded by the fact I could not get any assistance from my GP practice to have a doctor attend.

I was exceptionally unwell on the attendance of the ambulance crew however I felt that I was not taken seriously at all. My main concern was sepsis due to ongoing infections in both my ear and my thumb. My obs were carried out by ambulance and as I recall, my oxygen levels couldn't be measured do to my nail gel. My other obs however were, in my opinion, indicative of the potential for something quite serious going on. 

Firstly I believe my pulse heart rate was in the 90s, I explained to the crew that my resting pulse generally sits around 50/60bpm. This was dismissed. My blood sugar was measured as 3.? I can't recall exact figure. Again my very low blood sugar was dismissed.

I explained to the crew several times that I was exceptionally dizzy and they could see this for themselves when my sister had to support me when I moved from my bedroom to my bathroom. I was suffering severe abdominal pain as well as really quite severe diarrhea and vomitting.

When I explained several times to the ambulance crew, regarding the dizziness, this was dismissed as being due to my ear infection. Whilst I fully understand dizziness can be a symptom of any issues with the ear, I was not listened to at all when I explained several times that my ear infection had been ongoing since early December and I had not at any point experienced dizziness similar to what I was now experiencing. Not only that but my ear infection was actually a lot better than it had been so it made no sense that I would now be suffering such severe dizziness.

Basically, I felt treated as though I was exaggerating and my valid points of concern were ignored.

The ambulance crew left my home to call my GP practice to try and arrange for me to be seen by a gp however when ambulance returned to my home they were unable to confirm whether or not I would hear from the gp practice. The ambulance crew then stated they were leaving and basically intended leaving me at my home address.

Due to this and my own absolute certainty that I was very unwell I had to insist I was taken to the Victoria hospital A&E. unfortunately I felt this decision from me was not particularly well received by the ambulance crew. I was duly transported to the hospital, again feeling like my decision was not well received.

On arrival at the hospital, having taken me to use the toilet and bearing in mind I was doubled over in pain, had been vomitting and had pretty much constant diahorrea, I was left in the waiting area at A&E by the ambulance crew. I was told I'd be seen in due course.

I waited some time in the far corner near the toilet , I was left alone in the waiting room despite my very obvious dizziness and having been close to fainting in my home (which the crew had been informed of).

Whilst waiting in the A&E waiting room, I was crying with abdominal pain, had to lie down on chairs and was retching and vomitting into a sick bowl. Again I was left alone and no member of staff from reception nor any medical staff came to check on me at any point. Ambulance had long since departed. After a lengthy wait, I felt my condition worsening due to the lighting and heat in the waiting room. 

Finally a lady approached me and asked if I had been triaged. I may be wrong but I had noticed patients who appeared walking wounded, had been receiving triage prior to me despite my obvious condition. I explained I hadn't but that I intended to be collected by a relative and attend my GP practice. I duly left A&E.

I was actually admitted to hospital the next day. I was admitted mainly due to fairly severe dehydration. When I had attended my GP practice on the previous evening, blood tests were taken (only a couple of hours after ambulance had "assessed' me). The results of these tests showed my blood inflammation readings to be in excess of 110/120. I believe these readings should be under 5.

I feel the attending ambulance crew should have picked up on my severe dizziness as a symptom of quite severe dehydration. I feel the ambulance crew showed very little by way of compassion and did not take cognisance of my own thoughts and feelings in regard to how ill I physically felt.