"Lengthy wait for pain relief"

Anything else?

On Thursday, 28th November at approximately 2 p.m. I accompanied a neighbour to A & E after a fall in which her hip was dislocated. The ambulance crew administered morphine and gas and air throughout the 10 mile journey to Broomfield but on arrival, the gas and air was withdrawn. Despite several requests for help for this lady, who was in agony, the attitude of the only nurse on duty was to tell her to relax as no pain relief would work unless she did! This lady has suffered for many years with pain due to arthritis so knows all about pain and has always been very uncomplaining. Staff members paid no attention to her cries of pain, she was doing her very best not to call out as from previous experience she assured me that hospital staff do not like patients to show their pain levels. After two hours the gas and air was produced, apparently the staff member had difficulty in locating the equipment. Is is not essential to have such pain relief available in an A & E Department where you could well expect patients to be in pain. I was very unimpressed at the uncaring attitude of the staff, a little bit of kindness and understanding would not have gone amiss.