"Not Good Enough"

Anything else?

Our experience of A & E are not to be recommended to any family! Initial impressions at Reception were favourable - efficient & caring Receptionist. But what a dirty, messy, depressingly over crowded area the waiting room turned out to be.

My daughter was the patient and attended hospital on the advice of a nurse on the gynaecology ward as she was in the midst of a miscarriage. We waited ages to be triaged and the nurse who saw her was suitably compassionate and eventually we were guided to a side room within the inner area of A & E. And then she was just left for another hour and a half with nobody coming near or by. No reassurances, no checks - nothing. When I eventually complained to a young doctor, his response was to just look at me. A staff nurse then told me how busy they were, which I completely understood but a woman suffering a miscarriage had been ignored for over two and a half hours in total. The nurse claimed my daughter had been monitored from a distance!

Eventually my son in law and I decided to take my daughter home - the loo she had to keep using in A & E was a filthy disgrace. It was when our intentions were communicated to the staff that things started to happen. At last Southend Hospital was redeemed somewhat in the form of the excellent sister on duty. Her reassurances, efficiency & compassion were a credit to her profession. At last my daughter was taken up to the gynaecology ward where she should have been sent hours ago. We'd arrived in A & E just after 9.30pm but did not arrive on the ward until after 2am.

Overall an unhappy, unpleasant experience with a few redeeming features.