"It would be great to be able to ..."

What I liked

It would be great to be able to fill in the appropriate boxes above in this survey, but, having had a hand injury yesterday evening I attended the North Staffs A&E department with my 12 year old at 8.30pm. She was triaged within a 30min period and told she needed an xray. Having seemed like a perfectly reasonable indication, and with the childrens area now closed, we began to wait......and after 8 HOURS and several inquiries into our wait we left the department. I found that this wait was totally unreasonable. Throughout this period I observed frail and elderly individuals -with clear open cuts and wounds- being left in the same predicament, whilst any individual who came into the department in company of Police were processed almost instantly - this was clearly preferential treatment and discriminatory to all those who had been waiting for excessive time....I would recommend another source used where necessacy (I certainly know that we would not have waited anywhere near this length of time - and been seen- at our local walkin centre!). No reception staff member seemed to have any concern at the issues each time I enquired, infact they appeared not to have any interest in patients enquiries into the delay. When I advised them that we were leaving the response was completely blank expression! This departemnt achieved nothing for us, apart from taking 4pounds out of my purse for parking charges!!

What could be improved

ANY communication after triage into the delays/waiting times. Seating is most inappropriate - rigid, metal frames ....to sit in for 8HOURS!!

Give patients a realistic expectation of when they will be seen following triage - what is the point of beginning a process that then grinds to a halt?

Helpful reception staff without blank expressions when asked a question - better training in customer care!

Keep the childrens room open for longer periods - they don't only have accidents between 9am and 8pm!

Anything else?

If 'certain' patient, ie those in Police detention are processed differently as a matter of policy - either make this policy aware to the public or admit them elsewhere - there is nothing more frustrating than seeing this happen!!

Show some compasion to those elderly and frail members of the public - whilst it may seem that thier clinical needs are not great, their welfare needs in this environment and at a time when they are in discomfort most certainly are.