At around midnight one night in mid September I called an Ambulance for my husband who had been experiencing stomach pains that day, by midnight they had become very much worse and he was pacing the room and very pale. A paramedic arrived by which time the pain had subsided somewhat. The paramedic carried out various tests - ecg blood sugars, blood pressure etc. , whilst assessing my husband the pans came on again and the paramedic was able to see the severity of them, he attempted to put a put a intravenous line in to enable him to give my husband morphine but was unable to get a vein, he tried again and was successful by which time the pains had again subsided. He called for a 'crew' to take my husband to hospital and they arrived shortly after.
On arrival to Worcester Royal he was checked in and taken to the A & E ward for assessment. As the paramedic checked my husband in to the Sister she started berating him for bringing my husband in asking him if he had thought of other pathways such as the out of hours gp, he stood his ground and explained that my husband had been in considerable pain to the point of requiring morphine. All this went on within our earshot. I found this attitude both insensitive and unprofessional as well as making me feel as though I was wasting the time of the NHS. I would like to point out that I am not someone who visits/calls emergency services lightly. My husband has had ill health in the past requiring major surgery and therefore I would like to feel that should I ever need to contact the emergency services I would not be made to feel as if I should not.
I have left my husband at the hospital awaiting further tests but have come home feeling so strongly about this incident that I am relaying this 'story' at 4. 15am!
"unprofessional/insensitive attitude of a senior member of staff"
About: West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust Brierley Hill DY5 1LX Worcestershire Royal Hospital Worcestershire Royal Hospital Worcester WR5 1DD
Posted by bond (as ),
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