"Assessment and admission to Hospital"

I rang the out of hours service on Saturday at 11. 45 - my daughter was triaged for a severe throat infection and the nurse decided she need to be admitted to Hospital. She ordered an ambulance - I offered to take my daughter in myself but the nurse was worried about her airway being blocked.

One hour later the Paramedic called and triaged my daughter again - failing to ask simple questions - she had already been on antibiotics for three days and was getting worse. He said she was not a priority and an ambulance would not be attending. I asked for advice and he said to attend the walk in centre.

We went to Loughborough and were seen by a doctor who said she needed to be admitted and he referred us directly to the Royal Infirmary ENT Ward. The ward accepted her and we went to the A&E Department, where we continued to wait. She was finally given some pain relief at 7. 30pm and admitted to the ward just after nine. It was 10. 30 before she was put on IV fluids and antibiotics as when we arrived on the ward they were doing their drug rounds.

My husband and I eventually got home at 11. 30. Every individual we saw (apart from the Paramedic) recognised how ill my daughter was and treated her and us in a caring and sympathetic manner. But surely there must be a way to join services up so that there is not need to wait for 11 and a half hours from someone deciding she needed admitting to her actually being on the ward?