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Queen's Hospital 2024-02-09 Person 2 5 0

It’s very difficult to just give stars. There is a total lack of dignity in having to have conversations in such cramped, overcrowded conditions, and at times some staff were less than entirely compassionate. But it was never their fault… of course there’s a lack of space and too many patients, but the organisation is also pretty rubbish.

On organisation.. My GP had already spoken to a cardiologist, sent me to A&E and advised I was expected. At Queens there is a sign informing Urgent Care is no longer inside the main entrance so we walked round and joined the queue. At the first desk, I pointed out we were expected by a named doctor at A&E but I was still channeled to the triage (?) team, then sent round winding corridors to RAFTing (?). I still suspect I didn’t go directly to where I should have, nor did anyone seem to understand I was expected. I waited in the overcrowded unit and noted staff spending ridiculous amounts of time just trying to find patients. Strong accents sometimes made the search less than effective. Blood was being taken left and right with no privacy. Intimate discussions were happening in close proximity. At least one person was “told off” because they hadn’t been able to position themselves in the specific alcove where they MAY have had bloods taken, had they known. The doctor who was expecting me finally found me after trying to ring me and then my wife (who by then had been sent away because of the overcrowding) The doctor took blood herself as it hadn’t been done by then. After almost exactly 8 hours I was moved on to a “nursing corridor”. You need people and systems to: direct patients to the right place; sit in the right area; call the right names clearly(screens?); inform patients of their likely wait/ place in the list. I repeat: I have nothing but praise for your staff, but they are coping with architecture and systems that help in no way whatsoever.