"Feeling unwelcome when Boyfriend was in A&E"

My boyfriend was taken to A & E after taking an overdose on antidepressants, he waited 40 minutes to be called considering he had taken these around an hour and a half before. When he was called over the staff made him lie down and left him for intervals of up to half an hour each time just to check blood pressure etc.

Meanwhile staff were standing talking about recent presents and their weekend rather than looking after the patients who were waiting and calling out for help. He then had to wait further for a doctor to come over and actually ask what had happened and then he had to wait a further 30 minutes just to be moved to a side room. I felt the staff there were disrespectful and unwelcoming. The staff said I could not stay with him overnight but I could stay until 8 pm. The staff were rude with us when we shut over part of the door for privacy as their desk was facing us.

They told me to leave and I was no longer allowed to stay until 8 pm, my boyfriend said he wanted to leave since they were sending me away and they refused him and told me I was unsettling and were going to call the police. It seemed to me staff were sitting speaking about me to fellow colleagues and their body language suggested they were making rude gestures and looking down their noses at me. The hospital would not even let him go to the toilet and did not keep in contact as things progressed.

I think these staff need to learn some manners and provide a better service to patients and families.