"A tough experience at Queens Burton"

Our daughter suffers from epilepsy. After weeks of useless visits, changing diagnoses and wrong treatment at our practice, she was urgently referred to a PAU unit at Queens by the GP with a bad and still worsening skin infection, which has started to affect her sleep cycle (she shouldn't have her sleep pattern disturbed as it can result in the seizures recurring). The staff were very welcoming, approachable and friendly. But then overly complicated hospital procedures began which only made our situation worse. The first doctor who saw her said that her condition could have been due to insect bites, which is clearly not the case and only added to confusion. They then said it could have been one of the diagnoses previously made by her GP, which I accepted. Finally they conluded that they are unsure and will ask for a second opinion. Another doctor came who examined my daughter and said it was likely to be the same condition she'd been previously diagnosed with by her GP, but they are not sure as 'they're not a specialist' and they don't know what's wrong with her'. They said they would prescribe some antibiotic and refer her back to her GP, who would refer her back to a dermatologist at Queens because 'She shouldn't have been referred to the PAU unit in the first place'. Only a loving and caring parent can imagine how disappointing and frustrating that was! I explained that with this we keep going in circles and once we're finally at Queens we can't go back to the point where it all started! I asked and demanded that we see a consultant dermatologist but were explained complicated procedures making it impossible and even more frustrating. We spent about 6 or 7 hours in there to end up with this conclusion, which I couldn't accept. What have all these complicated procedures, which, as patients, we don't understand and we don't need to know, got to do with a 9 year old child who only needs help and nothing else?? She was finally seen by the consultant dermatologist, quickly and appropriately diagnosed (which apparently was possible!). The treatment was quickly decided, the medications prescribed and then when we were trying to get the medicines from the hospital farmacy, full of hope that we finally got there...one medicine was not available and we were given 'an equivalent', which we had used previously, told the doctors it had proven ineffectpro; another - crucial - medicine had to be ordered and wasn't available until after 24hrs..Even after 24hrs it still wasn't available and when I called the pharmacy to kindly ask and explain I really needed this medicine and I couldn't even go to work until I collected it they responded rudely and disconnected the call..I don't really know what to expect from Queens Hospital when I have to take her there again. We finally got help but at what cost?? Does it really have to be such a stressful and frustrating experience? Is it because we are migrants, each day less and less welcome in this country?? Please publish this revi