"Lack of respect & rude staff"

I am writing to complain in relation to the quality of service, my wife Karen received when she was admitted to York District A&E on Friday July 11. She attended her surgery on Friday July 11 for a routine counseling appointment. Her GP was called as the counselor was so concerned about Karen’s condition. The GP was sufficiently alarmed that he called a paramedic. My wife was exhibiting severe fatigue exemplified by facial muscle paralysis together with respiratory problems. She was also drifting in & out of consciousness The GP specifically asked the paramedics to take her to A&E in order for her to be seen urgently by a neurological consultant. Time was of the essence as it was important for the consultant to observe at first hand the issues Karen was experiencing. My wife duly arrived at the hospital. As far as we are aware she was not seen by any neurological consultant. I say this as no one took the time to consult with her and provide any real ‘care’. Everyone was ‘so busy and don’t have time for you’, that’s a direct quote from a member of staff. She was finally seen by a doctor on Saturday morning, some 12 hours later. His attitude and bedside manner was somewhat alarming. He treated her with little or no respect as though she was not worthy of the bed nor any treatment. He was very dismissive towards a vulnerable & distressed patient & frankly his ‘customer service’ left a lot to be desired. My wife was not seen by a neurologist , as far as she is aware. She was not treated for the symptoms with which she was admitted. Finally upon discharge no after care provision was provided. There was no plan….just leave ! No root cause offered as to why this happened. Just the implication she was wasting time. Furthermore when leaving, my wife was unable to walk without help. Upon asking for a wheelchair she was told ‘none was available’. Not one person offered her help to find a wheelchair. I am writing this letter because I am furious at your treatment of my wife when she was at her most vulnerable, scarred, confused & in pain. I have gathered corroborative information from my daughter & mother, both of whom witnessed this at first hand. It was their observations that prompted me to write this letter. On previous occasions when this has occurred my wife has been rushed to ICU due to concerns in relation to her breathing. Thankfully this was in Cardiff & not in York. Had this occurred in York hospital where would Karen be today? The whole experience was very upsetting. In retrospect if it was not for the seriousness of what occurred, it could easily form part of a Monty Python comedy sketch, it was that farcical ! Your value statement from you website states the following: Our values, drivers and motivators • Caring about what we do • Respecting and valuing each other • Listening in order to improve • Always doing what we can to be helpful The level of service we encountered falls way below any minimum standard.