"Ambulance admission"

Following stroke symptoms, I was taken by ambulance to A&E. On arrival it was manic, queuing out of the door! I was left lying on a trolley in the corridor for about 4 hours, staff had been told I was diabetic, luckily my daughter was with me, she checked my bloods but not once was I checked by a nurse. At one point my bloods were very low and my daughter had to give me glucose tablets that I’d brought with me.I was in agony with pain in my head and couldn’t stand bright lights. I lay with my daughters scarf covering my face. I suffer from Fibromyalgia and was in a lot of pain, aching all over. It was the most horrendous long hours I’ve ever spent anywhere. As we got closer to cubicles my daughter asked about pain medication....which never did arrive! Eventually was put in a cubicle where the light was turned off to help my headache and my eyes struggling with bright lights! I was finally seen by a Dr after waiting for ages again. Was told I’d need a CT scan. Another one & a half hours waiting... & still waiting for an IV paracetamol drip to be put up. My daughter kept asking where it had got to. She was repeatedly told someone was coming to do it. By the time they finally came for me to go for a scan I was in agony with my head and body aching and still no IV up! The pain was so bad my daughter refused to let me go for the scan until I’d had some pain relief. Finally after over6 hours I got pain relief and had my scan to be told I’d had a right thalamic infarct (stroke), deep inside my brain. Finally about 1.30am I was sent up to the Huggett

Suite (stroke unit). Never in my life have I been as pleased to get into a bed with a pillow to rest my head on, I was absolutely exhausted and desperately needed to sleep. I was allowed to take my own medication which helped with the pain, although they still had to check me out I was being treat like a Queen with compassion and dignity with the utmost kindness and understanding. Having had nothing to eat since breakfast time...having been promised toast & tea in A & E ( which surprisingly never arrived) I was understandably quite hungry. Again the staff acted quickly to get me a little food which was much appreciated. I cannot praise this unit enough, thank goodness the RLI got something right!

I really don’t know what has gone wrong with A&E but it’s shambolic is the only way I can describe it with patients being neglected. I cannot praise the nurses on A & E enough, they work flat out and the Doctors can only do their best under extremely difficult circumstances. Why is this situation happening, come on RLI please sort it out. It’s not good practice to keep a patient on a trolly in A & E for hours when they have possibly had a stroke and are diabetic. If my daughter hadn’t been there

I could have slipped into a diabetic coma and no one would have noticed for possibly hours! I just want to know why this shambles is being allowed to continue?