"Poor Patient Experience "

I attended Queens UTC at 11am with excruciating abdominal pain. No ‘fast tracking’ of those like me who were obviously in a great deal of pain, from the queue; just wait your turn. No degree of urgency expressed by the member of staff who took my details and ‘nothing’ entered on my form regarding my severe pain.

I was sent to another area for bloods & urine … member of staff there didn’t take either and told me I didn’t need them! Sent me back to waiting area. The pain became even worse and after an hour I approached original staff member for painkillers; he simply shrugged his shoulders and mumbled that they should have taken tests! He filled out another form, this time marking the check-box regarding pain and sent me on a journey through the hospital to A&E Rafting.

No guidance or assistance; no wheelchair. The route is so torturous, I was doubled up in pain and managed get lost on the way; ‘wayfinding’ is appalling!

Arrived at A&E Rafting and waited another 1.5 hours before being seen and another hour before pain relief administered. No urgency expressed at any time. No compassion and a distinct lack of communication. At one point my name was called and as I tried to get up, the doctor walked off so quickly that when I did catch up with him he had turned his attention to someone else, and I was told to sit down; waited another hour to be seen. Finally seen by a doctor some 4 hours after arriving, who directed my bloods to be taken … which should have happened within the first hour of arrival!

Sent to another area for processing. More waiting. Finally saw another doctor for another discussion and so it went on and on and on. Finally discharged in pain with no meds and a prescription to find a chemist at 7:30pm. No treatment.

Observation: Medical staff spent minimal time communicating with patients; in dire need of information, compassion and reassurance that they would be dealt with humanely.

After 8 and a half hours I feel totally let down and quite frightened at becoming ill if that’s the way I will be processed. I will definitely not be attending Queens, Romford.