Queen's Hospital 2023-09-06 Person 2 5 0

I was admitted to Queens about 1.30 ish on Sunday 3/9 with pain & swelling in my left knee & huge bruising at the back of the knee. I was assessed X-rays & blood taken & I was then referred on to the ESDEC around 5pm. I was seen by a Doctor there & told that I would need to stay overnight as I was having a left knee aspiration on Monday 4/9. They would find me a bed. I was told to go back & sit in the waiting room. I was still in the waiting room at 6am Monday morning when a nurse appeared & said I had to have a drip as I was nil by mouth til after the procedure. At this point I had been in the unit 11hrs. My son had come in with me, but left about 1.30am. From then I not one person spoke to me or updated me. I stopped a nurse & asked her if I’d been forgotten. She came back & said no bed was available. That was it. So hours sitting up in a wheelchair, no care, thought, attention, food or drink. I was not the only one by a long chalk. A nurse came to me just before changeover at 6 & took me through to the ward area. She put me on a drip as nil by mouth. All very efficient, but devoid of any interest About 11 I was seen by the Consultant & things started to move then. I was placed in a day ward until I had the procedure. I eventually left Queens around 5pm. I had been awake for 34hrs at this point. I’m 77 not in particularly good health & was appalled that this was happening in this day & age.

Paid attention to the patients who were waiting. Pastoral care if they knew they were stuck there all night. Basic interest I suppose It has been a very unpleasant shock & I would hate to think that I might need to use your emergency services again. I think I’d rather take my chances