This is Care Opinion [siteRegion]. Did you want Care Opinion [usersRegionBasedOnIP]?

"Ignored"

About: Medway Maritime Hospital

I suffer Lupus and very brittle asthma for which I am on quite a few medications. After suffering a night with a horrible rash, swelling and difficulty breathing I called 111 and was told to get to A&E immediately. Upon arrival at A&E I was spoken to like a child because I don't yet have a local GP. (I've only moved here recently) triage took some details but hardly cared to look at my card listing the medications I am on nor listen to the fact that this form of SLE Lupus causes me to develop pleurisy randomly. I was sat waiting in A&E with 4 other people for about an hour when a woman came in and asked me to varify my name and then told me to come back later. 5 hours later!!! YES! 5!! By this time I was terribly unwell, called and complained to the patient advocate who directed me to a local walk in. The walk in was actually not much better. I was glanced at and told that I "have catched a virus, use E45 cream and take lots of fluids." She didn't even listen to the words that came out of my mouth about the fact that I have Lupus, and I'm on new medications. She said, "you have been on these tablets for 4 weeks, its too late for it to be a reaction to that medication." This is not an accurate assessment! This is an anti-malaria drug that takes weeks to show if you will have a reaction. If anyone had listened to me about my medications they may have known this? Likely not, no one seemed to care that day. Not at the A&E nor at the walking was there a single shread of care or concern about me nor that fact that I had been on a home nebulizer on and off for 24 hours, or that the rash now covered my entire body, was hot to the touch, swollen and blistering on my legs. I went home, called my former London GP and was told that I was having an alergic reaction to the medication and to get back to A&E! In the end I took a large does of anti histamine and went off to London. I then stayed in London hospital for 24 hours on steroids and very unwell. I was left to suffer what could have been a terrible allergic reaction and it seems those in the medical field who work in Gillingham didn't care one single bit about me. Now I'm terrified of what will happen if I ever need the A&E here again. What do I do? Who do I go to? Turning people away? Who does that?! It was so obvious I was having problems catching my breath, that I was covered in a horrible rash, it was in their face yet I was ignored. I advise you avoid this hospital!

nhs.uk logo
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Medway Maritime Hospital 9 years ago
Medway Maritime Hospital
Submitted on 30/04/2014 at 13:08
Published on nhs.uk on 01/05/2014 at 04:00


Thank you for your comments and please accept our apologies for the standard of care you received. We are continually trying to improve our service to patients and quality of our emergency assessments. If you would like to discuss your concerns directly, then please conract John Fletcher, Senior Matron for the Emergency Department or Amanda Morrice, Clinical Director, on 01634 830000 x3847.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k