"Not impressed by the admissions unit at the Royal Gwent Hospital"

I am a patient who has only recently been diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder, and who has had the misfortune of visiting the Royal Gwent MAU department on 15 occasions in one year, and I can honestly say that not one of them was an experience i wish to repeat.

The unit suffers from a basic lack of communication between staff and patients. I have been left often for hours on a trolley or more often than not a chair in absolute agony and unable to stand whilst listening to staff chatting about their nights out or other members of staff.

Now I must stress that not all staff are like this, but it does apply to many I have seen. Before my diagnosis, I was often treated as if I were some sort of hypochondriac and even asked by a nurse practictioner who has no patient liasion skiils whatsover if i was prone to anxiety attacks!

I'm sure the unit does treat its fair share of timewasters, but they should not tar everyone with the same brush. Some staff need to be rotated as, for whatever reason, they have lost their passion for nursing and offer no empathy to patients at all.

The total opposite, I must add, of the staff in A&E Resus, who are true professionals, talk to their patients and all work with one goal - to help the patient to heal and return home as quickly as possible.