Share review of The Royal Free Hospital

The Royal Free Hospital 2022-11-19 Person 1 5 0

I'm being treated privately for breast cancer. 24 hours after finishing my first chemotherapy I had to inject myself with pegfilgrastim against neutropenia. I started to have breathing difficulties, so I rang the emergency number of the private hospital. They advised me to call 999 to get to the nearest A&E as it was a symptom of anaphylaxis. As ambulance waiting times can be hours my husband drove me. When I checked in at the Royal Free at 21:30 on 16th November I was completely ignored and told that because I was talking I could obviously breathe. So they refused to send me to A&E and sent me to the Urgent Treatment Centre instead. I rang the emergency number of my hospital again asking what to do. They said that I needed to insist to be sent to A&E. But again I was refused and told I wasn't an emergency, full stop. After sitting in the UTC waiting room for one and a half hours gasping for air, a nurse came to take a blood test and do an ECG. I was told that a doctor would see me around half past midnight and was sent back to the packed and dirty waiting room. There was a water machine but no cups, and the machine in the hallway was out of order. By 2am my breathing started to ease and my husband and I left around 02:30 without ever seeing the promised doctor. All staff had gone on a long break. On checking out I was told I could pick up my blood test and ECG in the emergency reception. I was told that they are not ready and that I should come and pick them up the next day. Surely, the whole point of having a blood test was to check for anaphylaxis protein, as per NICE guidelines. I rang my emergency number again and they were absolutely shocked about the way I was treated at the NHS. The only communication I received from the Royal Free was a text message today asking for a feedback about my "experience". Needless to say that I didn't get any of the test results I asked to be emailed to me.