"A&E Forth Valley"

I attended recently with my son (6m) with breathing concerns via 111 who called an ambulance for him but there wasn’t any available, so the ambulance service called and told me to present to A&E. 

When I got to A&E I waited 30 minutes to see the triage nurse, who noted his breathing was fast and noisy. Then was placed back in the paediatric waiting area. We were then left for hours with no follow checks on him and no communication. The parents waiting had originally been informed that a paediatric doctor was coming on / down to help clear the children (5 patients). 2 hours later we are all still waiting. I asked from some paracetamol for my son as his temperature was getting high and he was due it. (Waited 1 hour for this) When the nurse came all parents were understandably frustrated and concerned. The nurse told us that person who had been waiting longest was 8 hours and we should expect to be waiting another 4-6 hours to be seen and no paediatric doctor was coming to help clear the children. At this point, I decided to leave, wait for the GP in the morning, as by the timescale giving it would be past 8 am when my practice opens. 

I find it very disheartening that children are not prioritised while in A&E especially a 6 month baby with breathing concerns. Secondly, why would there not always be a paediatric doctor in A&E to help streamline the service and speed things up for the children. As were told repeatedly that the A&E doctors prefer a paediatric doctor to see the patients, as children are a different ball game to adults.

This is not my first bad experience of A&E forth valley. In September of this year, I attended with my son (2y) who had been having on going investigation about an injury to his leg. I had my then 5 month son with me as he is breastfed. We waited in total of 14 hours in A&E. The first 5 hours in the paediatric waiting area, the next 5 in the X-Ray returns waiting area. While in here there was not enough seats for everyone, so I was sat on the floor with my baby to feed him. We did originally have his pram and my older son’s pram (as he was unable to weight bear on his leg), I was told I was taking up too much room with two prams and one of them would have to be back to the car. I returned my 5 month old pram to the car and keep my older sons as he couldn’t walk. 

After 5 hours of waiting I approached the nurse station for an update, as my son was starving. He had arrived at 14:00 and it was midnight at this point, he had not been offered any food or water. Luckily I had brought some supplies, however these were now gone. The nurse told me that they did not know anything about my son and couldn’t help. I ask if they could find someone and I explained we had been waiting 10 hours. In their words, you are lucky it’s only been 10, as day as sometimes I can be longer. I found them very rude. They ask what doctors was he under I said were told the orthopaedics were reviewing his x-ray. They told me he wasn’t in the queue to be seen by orthopaedics or anyone. Then followed with if you have been waiting so long why wouldn’t you alert us earlier as you’ve clearly been missed. After a bit of back and forth, they finally caved and called orthopaedics for us. When they arrived 1 and half hours later, I asked why we had been left for so long. The doctor explained it was because A&E hadn’t made them aware we had came back from A&E, and told them we had left. 

It got to 1:30am. I explained to the doctors that I have been waiting 11 and half hours (6 and half on the floor) and I just want some answer now. They said we have no beds but we can move you into a side room. The room in question was a room full of broken chairs and equipment. Eventually after 14 hours we were admitted to children’s ward (04:00am).

I held off complaining about this at the time, thinking it was a one off, but now I believe it is not. I have found the treatment of the children in FV and their A&E department shameful. They seem to have an issue with lack of staff, lack of effective communication and compassion. I think a new system has to be looked at that children are not placed in the same waiting times as adults. I don’t understand why it is so difficult for a paediatric advanced nurse specialist or a doctor to be based in A&E to help clear children, which in turn would reduce the wait for adults. 

I would like a response back about what action is going to be taken.