Queen's Hospital 2024-03-05 Person 1 5 0

Arrived at approx 02:00 Was left in all 12 hours nurses were busy, just left for hours and hours till I could see a dr no information given to me about possibility of symptoms of concussion the need for a Ct scan .. moved from where I was by a nurse who was visibly annoyed that me and the other 4 patients had been put in there !!! Left in the corridor no one came to see me my husband had to go and check what was happening .. whether I needed a head scan when he arrived. Then waiting again Ct scan then results .. which I understand .. then watched and listened to the dr request one of the sisters to clean and inspect my wound .. she refused said she had more important things to do ... then eventually a charge nurse said he would do it, he and a nurse who was with him decided it had to be glued rather then stitched so first they said about cutting/ shaving my head and I refused so the nurse painstakingly separated the hair around it .and cut a few strands . I heard her say to the make nurse she wasn't trained to glue my head but could assist. They then between then held my head and pushed the sides of the laceration/wound together and then he put the glue on and then I heard him say sorry and he had glued his glove a tip of a finger too it so he then had to cut it off and has left a tip of plastic glove in my glued head .. and made some feeble excuse saying it will probably drop out it's self . I had concussion grade 1 I was in shock so didn't get angry but now am very unhappy about the treatment I received . I work for the NHS I know we are all under pressure .. I realise my injury was not as serious as some, but it was more serious then others .. I saw two nurses to speak to in eight hours once when I said I was in pain could I take anything ? And once to take my observations for the last hour and a half to two hours I just watched 4 of them not sure if nurses or hca 's chatting .. one said to me briefly as she was going off duty the drs are in handover you should see someone soon .. that was at 7 40. I was seen by a dr the first time since I’d arrived at approx 10:15 . My husband had to suggest to the dr that was I going to have a head scan ? Then after checking my eyes he reluctantly agreed that perhaps I should. I understand everyone is under pressure, I know the system .. I know the hospital I used to work there .. but for those who don’t .. the very elderly, dementia patients , very unwell , infirm , anxious, children , mums in their own with babies it is and seemed a scary horrible environment .. no information given .. I had blood taken no explanation as to why ? if that’s standard treatment for all patients, then explain why ?

All of it .., explain , inform , be transparent about delay give realistic time frames, what treatment to expect , what you should tell them about your condition … your staff should be careful how they speak to each other in the earshot if patients and family and to each other when with a patient Try to rectify mistakes .. not excuse them, is it acceptable to have a piece of rubber glove left in the wound .. it is healthy can it cause infection ? Follow the example of the one lovely caring member of staff I saw the whole visit a lovely philipino HCA /nurse who was very caring, reassuring and helpful going out of her way to assist me. I had realised I couldn’t get the wound wet and my hair was rock hard and matted with dried blood and my neck was covered and I asked if she could give me a wet wipe as I knew it had to be softened cleaned for them to glue the wound she came with several tiny refilled bowls of water and cloth and helped me untangle my hair of the worst of the dried blood and on my neck she was amazing .. she kept popping back to check how I was getting on with cleaning it between what she had been asked to do , her act of kindness and care made the rest of the staff look worse then I thought they were before There seemed to be a sense of apathy like everything was a lot of bother to them .. I get they are understaffed .. under pressure but there was a lot of people standing around not letting patients know what was happening and worst of all they think this is ok .. I got almost growled at by one nurse when I asked could I have some water to take more painkillers From this experience I would be very reluctant to Let my mother or any of my family go to A&E without being accompanied by someone who has an idea of what should be happening ..all in all the experience was not great I will always stick up for queens but you need to improve on your handling of patients it’s a shambles