"Things like this could put people off seeking medical advice"

As a staff member I feel obliged to post this. After weeks of pain, doctors appointments, antibiotics and trips to out of hours, one day at work the nurses I was working with advised me to go to a&e after checking my obs as the pain was unbearable and accompanied by chest pain.

After being unsuccessful of getting seen by my own gp I felt I had no other choice than to go to a&e. Once there I was seen by triage staff  who was extremely rude telling me this was a gp problem and the department was extremely busy. They weren’t best pleased another health care professional had advised me to attend and said that my chest pain could just be my anxiety - I have lived with mental health problems for the last 4 years so I knew it wasn’t anxiety. I was adamant I wasnt leaving until I had been seen by a doctor. By this point, the triage staff had made me very upset. As a member of staff myself, I know how busy the hospital is and was reluctant to go to a&e. After being seen by a doctor I was admitted and kept in the hospital for 3 nights. After a ct scan they managed to find the root of the problem. That night in a&e there were several patients complaining about the staff’s attitude and the way they had spoken to them. Things like this could put people off seeking medical advice and end up more ill than they need to be!

I would like to say thank you to the staff in ward 17 & 18 who did take the time to look after me and make sure I was comfortable.