"Deplorable treatment"

I have visited Colchester Hospital A & E Majors twice in the last ten days with my husband after he had a heavy fall.

On the first occasion he fared reasonably well and although they were slow to treat him and he was there for 6 - 7 hours before being moved to a ward I felt the staff had done a fair job.

On Friday night however it was very, very different.

We went on the advice of our own GP who had rung ahead and made arrangements for a surgeon to see us and gave us a strongly worded letter expressing urgency as he suspected a bleed on the brain.

We were treated with contempt and they really couldn't have been slower to deal with him.

The department was much, much less busy than on our first visit - no ambulance crews queuing in reception and many bays were empty.

He was seen by two nurses (shift change) and just left to stew for four hours.

Just before the breach a junior doctor finally came to see him and after a lot of pleading from us they did arrange a scan which took place just over 4 hours after admission.

At no time did a surgeon or consultant visit to check him.

Luckily the scan came back clear about an hour later and he was finally diagnosed with concussion on top of his injuries.

To be left like this and ignored in his current poor state of health was cruel, unnecessary and downright disgraceful.