"Visit To A AND E 13 September 2014"

My husband was taken to A and E by a paramedic following us calling 111 for advice. The 111 service called for the paramedic who following assessment felt that my husband should be seen by doctors at A and E. My husband was suffering severe pain and feeling very unwell. My husband was taken by the paramedic in the ambulance car, I followed on. On arrival at A and E it did appear busy (being Saturday night you expect this) and we, along with many others waited in the queue of trolleys to be seen. To start with my husband was put with two other patients (also on trolleys) in a small nursing bay in what I can only describe as being like "sardines" but this was addressed by one of the nurses and my husband and the other patients were moved apart and given a privacy curtain. We then sat for a couple of hours in the corridor, the nurses appearing overworked but still managed to carry out regular observations to maintain some level of care and did give pain relief (thank you to Gina and Brittany) We had arrived at 9.26pm, by 2am my husband was still waiting in the ever growing queue of trolleys to be taken into majors. At 2.09am I went home as my husband wanted me to get some sleep. I then received a phone call from my husband at 5.15am asking to be collected. He had been assessed by a doctor but had no tests done i.e.blood test, and had been told by the doctor that the A and E was not the place fir his symptoms to be investigated as he was already under the care of ENT and that if as suggested by the doctor that his condition was a long term chronic condition he shouldn't go to A and E. I would like to point out a number of things:- It was the paramedics decision to take my husband to a and e His blood sugar levels were at 8.8. This was never rechecked at a and e My husband has only had an initial appointment with an ENT consultant No further basic tests were carried out e.g. bloods, urinalysis etc. I wish to say that I am disgusted that even the basics were not carried out and that my husband had to endure like many other patient a long and distressing wait in pain to be discharged with a half heated diagnosis based on sight only and no further testing to rule out anything potentially serious. I am sorry that that our experience at A and E was not to the high standard of care we have experience in the past in other hospital departments and at present in ENT.