"Poor Customer Service & Organisation"

I visited A&E last weekend after and injury to my son's arm had not got any better. Unfortunately the there times I went to Harold Hill Minor Injuries Unit we could not be seen or xray machine not working.

We were at A&E as expected for well over 3 hours and were told my son had a fracture and had to book an appointment at the fracture clinic the following Friday.

We returned today and it was very buy, but we were given a bleeper and told to come back when it went off - so first impressions good!

We went back 20 mins later to be told to wait in another area which we did. No one was there to ask who we were so we sat down and waited. Lots of people who came in after us went in first, but still we waited. Eventually after hearing another patient being told off for waiting in the wrong place - despite him saying he was told to come down there by another member of staff - I mentioned we had been waiting for quite a while. From what I can gather another nurse had put the files in the wrong place possibly... I don't know. Then we were seen next. We were then told my son does not have a fracture.., or rather the consultant could not see a fracture.

They ordered another xray anyway, and we were told by a nurse eventually (there is no one round there to ask you just have to grab a nurse as they walk through) to knock and tell them we had had the xray which we did.

They said please wait a minute.

Half and hour later we had not been seen, and two other patients came along and went in before us.

When they did see us they looked at the xray for a few seconds and said they can't see anything and to come back in two weeks.

I am at a loss to know why we were told they had a fracture in the first place, and think a bit more organisation is needed for Outpatients 1 rather than leaving the patients to wonder around trying to find what to do themselves.

Everyone makes mistakes and loses things but where I work we at least apologise to our customers - we don't shake our heads complaining about other members of staff in front of them.