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Long wait in children's emergency department

Posted By Karim

"Long wait in children's emergency department"

About: Heartlands Hospital / Accident and emergency

(as the patient),

My niece broke her arm, and we received an absolute disgusting level of service. We sat around for more than 2 hours waiting for consultancy.

All rooms are vacant, all nurses look free and no doctors on the floor. They seem to be occupied with paperwork and not realising that we are people/patients and not paperwork.

This is why private health care is doing better and people are leaving the country because they are not getting anything in return for their taxes. They have some extravagant and unfortunate procedures which are adding costs. They need high levels of consultancy and the use of simulation systems to improve service levels.

Absolutely shocking and a speechless experience.

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Responses

Response from Iona Belgrove, Patient Services Manager, Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust 10 years ago
Iona Belgrove
Patient Services Manager,
Heart Of England NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 10/12/2013 at 15:08
Published on Care Opinion at 15:15

Dear Karim

I am so sorry you had this experience which must have been extremely distressing for your niece and you, her family. The national target for waiting times in A&E is within four hours although I can immediately see that staff could perhaps have done more to keep you updated during your wait so you knew you hadn't been forgotten. I apologise if that didn't happen.

Please be assured that not all work in A&E takes place in the side rooms. A&E units also have discrete areas for critically ill patients where staff would have been occupied. Those you saw completing paperwork would have been doing so to ensure patients in the unit were transferred safely and efficiently.

I hope your niece is recovering well from her injury. I will ensure your story is shared with our front line teams so they can see how this has clearly affected you and your family. Once again, I apologise for any distress this experience has caused and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

kind regards

Iona

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