"Some concerns about my visit to A&E"

I went to A&E tonight as I am suffering severe pain in my ankle. The nurse who assessed my case sent me for an X-ray.

When I returned to the cubicle which had been occupied by a child with damage to her fingers, I noticed a jug with diluted blood sitting on the trolley. The nurse who was attending to me asked another staff nurse what it was and why it was there to which she replied it was only diluted blood. I stated that I did not think it should be sitting there to which I was told to stop freaking out. She then shouted over to the child and told her we were freaking out about her blood. She then took the jug back to the child's cubicle.

Am I wrong thinking this is an infection risk? Should I not "freak out" about someone's blood diluted or not lying in the cubicle I was being examined in? I cannot believe with the previous reports of poor hygiene in NHS Lanarkshire hospitals that this nurse finds this acceptable.

The nurse who was dealing with me referred me to the doctor as I was in so much pain and she could see nothing to cause it in my X-ray. The doctor reviewed my notes and examined my ankle. He told me there were several things which could be causing the pain but there was nothing he could do. I asked him if I should strap it or not or rest it or mobilise. He told me to strap it if I felt it helped and rest if this helped.

As well as appearing to have no idea about what he was doing he was also inappropriately dressed with his trousers half way down his buttocks revealing a large expanse of underwear. He told me to take regular pain killers, the cheapest I could buy as they were all the same. He told me to see my GP for further investigation but to come back if the pain got worst or the ankle became swollen or discoloured.

I have been in contact with a few different health professionals tonight most of whom were excellent but I am totally disgusted with the lack of professionalism of one staff nurse and the doctor. I am so thankful that I was not seriously ill or injured as I would hate to have to rely on either of these staff to care for me due to their attitude and bedside manner.