"Hell hole"

I attended A&E department with a severe infection in my arm. I arrived just after 7p.m I was then triaged at about 8 and then seen by a Junior Doctor at 9 p.m. It was decided that I needed to go into surgery the following day to have the infection dealt with and that I needed antibiotics to give me cover until surgery. I was told that I needed to be seen by a member of the surgical team. I waited in the Ambulatory emergency area. At 11.30 P.m I went to the nurses desk to ask how long I would have to wait to see the surgical doctor to be told that there was only one surgical doctor working, which was apparently normal at Yeovil hospital at night and that the bloods that had been taken from me had only just gone down for processing because they forgot about them. The nurse told me I could not be seen until they had the blood results which could take another 2 hours meaning I would have to wait until at the earliest at 1.30 a.m. I complained to the nurse that was a disgrace and that I should not be penalised for there incompetence. I made it clear that I would not wait for a total of 7 and half hours to see a member of the surgical team. The nurse was arrogant in their manner and quite frankly couldn't give a damn. I asked if they could at least arrange for me to go home with antibiotic cover which the junior doctor had stated I would need. Their reply was no and that they couldn't do anything about it. I asked them to ask a doctor, they refused. I left with not seeing the surgical doctor or without antibiotics. However the nurse wanted me to sign paper work to say I was self discharging, I refused as I was leaving with out having sufficient care and because the staff had been incompetent. I found the nurses in this unit lacking any common sense and were clearly very happy for me the patient who myself had been on emergency cover in my job for the previous 3 nights belligerent and I question how they have the right to wear a nurses uniform with such attitudes. In future I feel it will be necessary to have a solicitor present when attending the AE department at Yeovil hospital so that the way some of the staff treat you can be documented officially. The following day I returned after speaking with PALS I waited a further a further 3 hours before seeing a member of the surgical team who agreed I needed surgery and prescribed me antibiotics. Eureka.