"I had to go to A&E on 3rd ..."

What I liked

I had to go to A&E on 3rd Feb. 2010 at 9.30PM. I was seriously sick and was feeling shooting pain in my joints, My husband and son carried me to hospital with great difficulty. I spoke to NHS Direct on Wednesday about my sudden problem which affected my whole body especially all joints. I was unable to walk and movement of my legs was Stiff. . I spoke to GP doctor who advised me that i should visit hospital on my own and see the registrar and tell reception at A & E that a doctor has advised me to get me connected the doctor since they were on duty till 10 PM and also tell reception that i am Medics accepted .My condition was precarious and neither i could sit nor laydown on chairs. My Husband took me to Reception of A&E where Nurse at front desk who took my details and after that my husband told them that we had spoken to a doctor who has advised that the doctor be informed about me as Medics accepted case.The nurse said that there is no such Doctor in the hospital by this name and secondly everyone has to wait till their turn. There were heardily 6-7 patients before me I kept sitting, some time sleeping in chairs since i was restless with shooting pain At 10.30PM my husband went to the Nurse at window 1 and requested help us to connect with the doctor . He said that my wife is in terrible condition and she needs immediate attention. On this the Nurse who was the first contact came to Window 1 where my husband was making humble request, the nurse on the high tone said to my husband that if patients come to A&E on death bed, they have to wait like others, therefore wait where you are. I was listening all this. The nurse spoke in an insulting tone which is worst patient customer service in such a Prominant hospital of Romford.I cannot say with how many patients the nurse may have repeated these unprofessional words requires immediate enquiry . After 12.30 the Nurse took history.we left hospital without treatment at 1.45 Morning

What could be improved

Staff needs to have customer service training and such staff may be taken in to task and may not be placed at such sensitive position. The hospital management should make sure that waiting time of patients be reduced as per direction of authorities so that serious patients can be treated on priority. A complaint box be placed in A&E so that the patients can report there and then.

If the hospital management cannot take care of patients, such hospitals be closed down where tax payers millions of pounds are being spent without any output. Most of the patients go back without seeing doctors. If we had stayed our turn would have been around 4AM after 6.30 hours of wait. Can the hospital management look into this matter.

Anything else?

I may be informed about this complaint and action taken by the management firstly on the reception nurse, and also in particular the waiting time for serious patients. I still fail to understand that Doctors on duty spent more than 4 hours in not even seeing 6-7 patients and my turn never came.I enquired from inside ward at 1.45 before departure from hospital and the nurse said that still there are 6 patients before us to be seen, do not understand