"The medical care was excellent and..."

What I liked

The medical care was excellent and professional and the advice was clear. I was happy with this aspect of my care.

What could be improved

I was disappointed in the communication and patient care from the nursing teamin A&E. I had arrived with a paramedic following an asthma attack/respiratory distress I was feeling vulnerable and would have expected a welcome from the staff and some reassurance about how I would be managed in the department.

The shift was on change over a busy time so this may have affected my experience . A student nurse just said hello after a few minutes which was a positive however no one from the rest of the nursing team spoke to me. I was placed on a trolley by a paramedic and some 10 minutes passed before a nurse came to do my observations.

Morale appeared low or perhaps there is a culture of not communicating when a patient appears to be recovering or not needing urgent treatment. There was a real contrast in the communication and care from the ambulance service which was professional and appropriate for my presentation during my contact with them.

Although the term customer care may sound irrelevant even some effort at communicating and welcoming a patient to the department who has had a distressing experience is a minimum. As a nurse I wanted to be proud of my fellow professionals - please think about how you communicate and welcome patients to the department. Say hello explain what is happening just 1 minute of a nurses time (there were at least 8 at the nursing station )would have made me feel a bit better. Revisit expectations of staff regarding customer care and receiving procedures.