"When i visited the emergency assistant..."

What I liked

When i visited the emergency assistant unit at the R.V.I, on thursday 9 September, at 4.30hrs the nursing staff and receptionist were friendly and understanding of my breathing problems, I have asthma, which was worse because of a chest infection which I was recovering from. I have an allergic reaction to static dust, when a room is hot and there is no ventilation. No windows to open. I asked a nurse were I could obtain a bottle of water, as the waiting room was hot with no ventilation. They kindly brought me a jug of water. The double doors to the outside, had to be opened by pressing a button, the receptionist would then open the doors. when I needed to go out side, for some fresh air, the receptionist opened the doors for me. that was until, a new receptionist came on shift at 7hrs. That is when my nighmare began.

What could be improved

At the R.V.I emergency Assistant Unit. the second lot of double doors from the outside and the doors past reception which go to the coffee shop and toilets, have to opened by the receptionist, when you press a button. If the receptionist does not open the doors for you, you are trapped in the unit. The waiting room is small, with a lack of chairs, it is very hot , with no ventilation. one in 3 people have asthma, yet when the receptionists changed there shifts at 7hrs, the new receptionist refused to open the door to the outside for me, even though they could see and hear I was suffering from breathing problems. I explained I needed to get outside to obtain some fresh air, I explained I had asthma. They were rude and dismissive and give no explanation to why they would not open the doors. They stated if i needed to get outside, they would only open the door which lead to the coffee shop, there was a door which lead outside from there. MyI breathing was getting worse, I had left my partner in the waiting room, he thought I was outside getting some air. he was waiting in case my name was called. I had to go down a corridor to the coffee shop, half way down, I panicked I felt i was going to have an asthma attack, I was on my own. I went back to the emergency waiting room, I explained to my partner, that I could not get outside, My partner tried he was rejected, he asked the receptionist, if they could open the door, to the coffee shop, so he could get a bottle of cold water for me, as this sometimes helped my asthma, when I am in a hot place. I heard the reply to him,. Their words were, in an angry tone - You will have to wait. I had been polite to this receptionist, my partner had been polite, why were they not? My partner later came back with water for me, I was having a coughing fit, my chest was on fire, we spoke to a head nurse, who let me outside, and stated I should ask for them, if I needed to go outside again.

Anything else?

I was there until 10hrs, in that time my chest was on fire, I was having coughing fits because of the stale air, I needed to go outside again, my partner was very angry, I stated I needed to leave. He said you need to see a doctor we have been waiting all this time. We will just have to do this all again if we leave know. I looked for the nurse to let me out for some air. I could not find them. I spoke to another nurse, who refused to open the doors. When I eventually seen a doctor, we both voiced our concerns, what about the health and safety of the patient. the disability of a patient is not taken in to consideration. What if there was a fire, the receptionist had left the reception desk on more than one occasion and there was not a nurse to be seen. All patients were locked in unless a nurse with a key card let us out or the receptionist.