"Nightmare A&E"

Anything else?

This is a very late review but I have only just found out the name of this hospital that I attended and feel it is necessary that I share my awful experience. On the 1st of January 2013 in the early hours of the morning, I attended A&E in Kent. I was informed by someone in the waiting area that this was in Ashford. I had fallen down a flight of stairs in London after watching the fireworks off a balcony at a set of flats. I had injured my right ankle and was unable to walk without being in pain. Heading back from London I was going to attend my local A&E but could not bare the pain any longer. As I work in the A&E department at my local hospital, I expected quite a long wait, especially since it was New Years. After seeing triage I was sat for quite a while in pain. In my local hospital we are able to check the system and make a rough estimate at how long it will be til you're seen. With this in mind, I politely asked the receptionist how long she thinks it may be til I am seen. The reply I got just took my breath away. "This is Accident and Emergency. Do you even know what that means?". The way it was said was so sarcastic and I have never been spoken to like that before, especially by a member of staff on a front desk!! I also had to go for a couple of x-rays on my ankle and knee, and the late night x-ray staff were so rough I was literally crying in pain. Luckily enough I had not broken my ankle, as I'm sure they would of broken it a few more times with the amount they pulled it, even when I told them please be a bit more gentle. This was all in all my worst ever experience in a healthcare facility and I am glad I live very far away so I never come here again. What a poor experience by the NHS Staff at this hospital.