"A and E"

My teenage daughter was admitted to A and E last month having taken a significant overdose. The ambulance crew were very helpful on our arrival. Once admitted to adult A and E the information we received was minimal and at no point did anyone explain to us the implications of the drugs she had taken. The ambulance crew came to say goodbye and they answered our questions and reassured us of the implications of the drugs. No staff in A and E were available to offer advice. We were told that her blood pressure was particularly low but after the shift change no one checked her blood pressure again. It took 10 hours after I complained to see a child psychologist by which time she was becoming increasingly distressed. We were contacted a week later by the CAMS team who apologised saying we should have been given a referral before leaving hospital. The support from them has been very good.

What happened to my daughter was very upsetting but the experience and lack of attention at the hospital made things worse.