"Waited for 4:30h with a 9 months old"

On the last day of our trip to Portugal, my 9 months old got gastroenteritis and had been suffering from very high temperature (39C plus with often peaks at 39.8C) overnight a strong diarrhoea every hour with minor blood in the stools on the day we were traveling back. We took her to an emergency hospital in Portugal after she started to look very blue and lifeless who lept her in observation until the fever subsided. We managed to make it to our flight and, whilst driving back home from the airport, the fever went up again (my daughter has been taking calpol & neurofen alternating but rejecting solids and fluids). We rang 111 who advised us to take her to the nearest A&E to be seen within the hour. At arrival her temperature was checked by a nurse (39.4C) and neurofen administered. Was told the waiting to see a doctor in the paediatrics unit was 2 hours. After the 2 hours we were called and saw what i believe was a trainee general doctor who couldn't really answer any questions without having to ask their colleagues who were not available. At that point my daughter had a very large episode of diarrhoea with traces of blood which i suggested that maybe a sample for test should be taken. The person were seing agreed and a nurse took the sample. Following that i would have expected a minimum care/attention from the staff maybe to come and offer my baby some fluids as she was clearly very dehydrated but instead we were left in a room with a very bright light on from 1:30am to 3:30 am with nothing, no checks, waiting for one of the trainee doctor colleagues to become available.

Despite my several attempts to ask the reception what was going on and telling them that i had a very tired baby as well as my 3 year old son in the car waiting for us with his father, i got minimum sympathy and only promises that the more senior staff would come to evaluate my baby daughter. After 4.5 hours of wait, a registrar doctor from a non paediatric department come over and spent about 30 seconds hearing what they had from the junior doctor and without further examination or any test decided that we could go home.

I have never felt so disgusted with the care and lack of attention i had and very much wished we had driven back home and dealt with her condition ourselves as the nearly 5 hours in hospital only made my daughter more stressed and tired. After years of being (or having my children) seen by Oxfordshire nhs trusts where the medical staff has a much more careful attitude towards sick babies and children, i can only describe my experience at the Wexham Park paediatric unit as diabolical.