"A complete & Utter Shambles"

Arrived at 7pm with my daughter and granddaughter who was referred by paramedic due to extremely high temperature with lethargy.

Waited in queue at window check in/booth for 20 mins.

Asked to wait in waiting room.

Sat for two hours in childrens waiting area with a seriously poorly child, eventually was seen by assessment nurse who was concerned about the high temperature and needed to take urine sample.

We were advised that there was no where to lay my granddaughter and therefore was examined and fitted with the urine bag whilst laying across my lap ?

Was told by the nurse that there was no where to put her as extremely busy ? We had to carry my granddaughter for the entire duration at the hospital (My daughter is 3 months pregnant so to carry a toddler for hours was totally out of the question). The child's temperature at this point was 41.1 degrees ! We were sent back to children's waiting room and waited a further one hour for a doctor to arrive. The doctor apologised that there wasn't anywhere that they could examine my granddaughter and proceeded to ask others in the waiting room to leave so they could examine her where she was.

The doctor agreed that she was extremely poorly and needed to be admitted, however as there is no children's ward at EDGH so the doctor went off to secure her a bed in Hastings.

When the doctor eventually returned the doctor advised that they had a bed but before she could go the doctor needed to take some bloods.

Again we were left in the waiting room for approx. 30 mins until the doctor returned to put magic cream on her little hands ready to insert the canula.

We were then asked to leave the room to wait elsewhere for 45 mins until the cream worked and the doctor could ask a nurse to carry out the procedure.

Eventually after approx. 1 hour the doctor returned apologising that they did not have a nurse available and that they would have to insert the canula themself with the help of the parents.

What happened next was truly a disgrace, the child was hysterical and still had very high temperature but the doctor proceeded to insert the canula asking the father to hold the child firmly and the mother to help with the tubing and canula.

Blood leaked everywhere onto the floor, over the fathers shoes and covered my daughters hand.

The doctor was apologetic and advised that the dept is extremely busy and under pressure.

The doctor eventually finished the procedure at 11.30pm (ish) and asked my daughter to wait until the paperwork for transfer to Hastings was ready to take.

At this point is became clear that my daughter will have to drive the patient to Hastings with cannulas inserted into her little hands.

At no point was my granddaughter given anything to bring the temperature down!

After an hours wait for paperwork my granddaughter was driven by her parents to Hastings and eventually give a bed at 12.45am.

At what point does the NHS think this is acceptable?

The treatment at the Conquest is no better either.

An absolute disgrace both EDGH & Conquest!