"My care in A&E and on the gynae ward"

I was treated with respect, dignity and compassion when I attended accident and emergency at st james'.

The doctor was polite and explained everything that was happening throughout my journey in the department. I was given pain relief and made comfortable.

Unfortunately I was then admitted on to the Gynaecology ward, where I waited for 4 hours in the assessment cubicle, without any observations, no doctor to see me and no nurse or even health care. I could not lie down in this assessment room as the trolley did not have any sheet on it.

I was due pain relief as I had been in the room that long, I had to go and find a health care who stated she would ask the nurse. I did not receive any medication for another hour. The doctor came to see me who was pleasant, and clerked me into the ward.

I still did not have a bed for another hour. When I was moved to a bed, I finally had some observations. I was supposed to have some mrsa swabs taken whilst I was there however the health care forgot and left them by my bed.

I had to go for an ultrasound scan which I waited for all day, they told me I had to drink a full jug of water, they gave me the water and within ten minutes before I had finished my first glass the porter had come to take me for scan and the nurse said "oh don't worry it doesn't matter. " Nobody came to tell me anything about if I could be discharged or would be kept in for another 5 hours, I had no clue what was going on with my care.

All in all I was really disheartened by the lack of care on this ward and the lack of communication between myself and the staff.