"My experience of A & E"

In mid March I visited my 79 yo Mum to find her wearing a homemade sling on her R arm and with bruising to her face and R hand and as she takes Warfarin that was a little concerning too. She'd fallen the previous day and was in a lot of pain with limited movement in the arm/hand. I phoned 111 to be helped very efficiently and kindly by a guy called Michael. On advice we went to A&E at University Hospital Wishaw where I appreciated being permitted to stay with Mum due to her propensity to get a bit lost as a consequence of a previous stroke. The result was she had a fracture to her elbow and the care and attention she received from nurses, x-ray staff and the doctor was exemplary, she spoke very highly of them all, thank you to all involved. We understand staffing issues and the effects of Covid and I'm therefore not complaining that we spent 13hrs in total at A&E. We formed a Women's Support Group in one corner and met a lot of lovely women, we had a lot of chat and a lot of laughs. It's actually the most social time I've had since Covid started.

Full disclosure now, I'm a recently retired NHS  Nurse and therefore, I feel driven and obliged to bring a couple of points to the attention of hospital managers:

1. The reception staff during the day shift could have been more kindly.  I found them abrupt and a bit bolshie, they tended to raise the hackles of people who were waiting for up to 13 hrs, at least one of whom was in a lot of pain from an eye injury. However the woman on the night shift was totally different, very friendly, kind and obliging, the change from day to night shift was quite literally like night and day.

2. There were elderly patients left alone in the waiting area for up to 13hrs who received no attention. If I was in charge of A&E I would a implement a Floor Nurse system, a nurse or healthcare assistant should, perhaps hrly or 2hrly, ask the more vulnerable patients if they require assistance with toileting needs or drinks or food. As there was no Floor Nurse system it was left to me to escort a 90 yo woman with mobility needs to the toilet and it was me who fetched water for that lady and my Mum. I also witnessed an elderly man (who was sitting behind me so I didn't realise he needed help) who required nursing staff to clean up a urine spillage which I think was from an overflowing catheter bag.  It surely must have been a catheter bag because if it wasn't then those staff left that man sitting in his own urine because they only cleaned the floor then wheeled him back into position. Someone should have been aware that he had a catheter bag and that he would, in a 13hr period, require at least one emptying of that bag, instead he suffered the indignity of a public clean-up.

That's my story. I usually like to come to CareOpinion.org to tell of the positive experiences I have with the Scottish NHS. As a retired nurse I love shouting about how good we are. Perhaps the problems I witnessed aren't an issue out-with Covid times when people can have family members with them, but during times when family and friends can't be there, or when someone doesn't have family or friends with them, someone has to be there for them. I haven't enjoyed telling of the missing care I witnessed at University Hospital Wishaw A&E, but I can't not.  I need those elderly people and anyone else with needs they are unable to meet for themselves to be looked after, even in the A&E waiting area.