"Arms are black and blue"

I was told by my GP to go straight to the Royal Gwent Hospital when I went to the surgery feeling very unwell. I was given a letter and with this I was taken into the Medical Assessment Unit for tests.

The Assessment Unit was packed, there were no beds, I spent 26 hours on chairs in the unit and elsewhere. I had to have various blood tests and also needed to be prepared for a CT scan. As a result I had nine attempts to take blood and to put in a line for the scan preparation. I know I'm not the easiest person to take blood from but I felt the staff did not know what they were doing, I left the hospital with the backs of my hands completely black and my arms bruised.

There were two doctors in the Assessment Unit, I got the impression they had not been there for long, both of them spoke over me in Welsh. Whilst I can follow some Welsh I was not able to understand everything they were saying, It felt like they were taking about me. I thought it was very rude.

One of the checks was for a possible stroke, fortunately this proved not to be the case, however, I was told that I had not had a stroke and was fine to go home. I therefore made arrangements for my son to collect me. I felt as if the Stroke Team were just ready to discharge anyone. Whilst I was waiting for my son a nurse from the Assessment Unit  saw me and said they were not happy about me going home and they would try and find me a bed. This was because they knew that in the previous week I had had three falls at home. They did find me a bed.

I know the medical staff work their socks off and it is demanding, however there was no sense of urgency, nor did I feel safe or secure whilst I was there. I hope I never need to go back to that hospital.