Urgent Care Centre

Written by a patient

Well looked after throughout my stay

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Written by a patient

On June 18th around 12:05 am, I began experiencing chest pain and left arm pain. I called 111 and was advised to go to Leicester Royal Infirmary to be seen within the hour. When I arrived at the emergency department, the nurse, asked me my symptoms and provided me with a pain pill, and told me to have a seat. The nurse did not ask me any questions about my prior medical history or anything. It was negligent to give a patient a pain pill prior to accessing them. Needless to say, I sat for hours despite my number being in red; which I was advised was priority status. When I questioned the nurse about this and explained that my chest and arm pains were getting worse, the nurse responded that there were five other patients waiting with the exact same symptoms I was experiencing and they had been waiting longer than myself. Finally, I was called to a room for an ECG, I was advised the ECG was normal. I expressed concern about this and shared with the nurse that my sister recently had a heart attack and her EKG was normal. However, her troponin level was what indicated she had blockage; ultimately it was determined that she had 70% blockage and she had emergency open heart surgery. Sometime later, I was called to the back to have my blood drawn, and told to sit back in the waiting area. An hour later, the same nurse who gave me the pain pill during registration called me to a room to document my medical history? Why was this being conducted three hours later? This stage in the process should have been completed upon registration. Needless to say, I sat for a few more hours before asking a nurse how many patients were ahead of me; I was advised 13, when I mentioned the priority states, she responded that I did not have priority status, and it was probably due to me ECG being normal. Frustrated , I advised that the normal ECG is not definitive proof that I was not having aa s heart attack. Ultimately , I left the hospital without seeing a doctor, and advised the nurses if there were abnormalities with my blood work to contact me. She respond that the info would be sent to my GP. This entire process was sub standard and unacceptable. While in the waiting area, I saw a patient waiting who had a huge gash in the head, and blood everywhere, he waiting for over four hours prior to my arrival based on what other patients advised. How and why is this treatment the norm? I was advised by 111 that my symptoms warranted me being seen immediately, however, that was not done. If I were having a heart attack, it would have been fatal due to me sitting for 5 hours without being seen by a doctor. Never again would I come to this hospital; it is a disgrace that patients are treated in this manner.

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