"Bad Service"

Part 1

On a Friday morning was referred by GP to the AMU Ninewells Hospital, Dundee due to severe headache on left side.  Examined and symptoms were severe pain, pulse sounding in left ear and both eyes not moving together and seeing double.  All other faculties ok. No scan given. Sent home Friday evening with painkillers and told someone would be in touch the following week to organise a scan. 6.45am Monday telephoned the Unit to say I had suffered a bad spontaneous nose bleed whilst sleeping and was told by a charge nurse the information would be passed on to the doctor and someone would contact me.  No call back.  Early Tuesday morning was forced to contact NHS24 to get stronger painkillers. About 5.30pm Tuesday call from hospital to attend for a scan at 9am the following morning. Scan reveals torn internal carotid artery and clot. Frightening to say the least to realise you could/should have been treated five days earlier and could have dropped at anytime in-between, never mind having to unnecessarily endure such excruciating pain

Part 2

After the scan, bedded in the east ward from 10am until 6.30pm and spoken to by no fewer than six doctors, who half-heartedly attempted to practice their stroke-patient examination technique on me. Still don’t know which department they were from or what their function was. Given painkiller which knocked me out but wore off about 2pm. Four requests for something for the pain were ignored. When they finally brought medication for me to take home, the doctor asked me if I had enough painkillers at home from previous and to make an appointment with my GP for more.   Waited two hours for discharge and this doctor was ‘grudging‘ me a painkiller!

It is very difficult to argue your point when you are in so much pain and after having been told high blood pressure could rupture the injury and finish you off.  Absolutely, diabolical service.