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"Waiting in pain"

About: Altnagelvin Area Hospital / Emergency department

(as a service user),

I work in the NHS. I had been to GPs for weeks with bad symptoms of abdominal issues and severe pain. One morning I had enough and went into the hospital. 

I checked in and faced the longest wait of my life. I felt in the way. Uncared for with no one with time to help me. Nurses were so busy. But they despite being asked for pain relief actually told me to be patient. In pain I couldn't be patient.

I was moved in and out of the nurses area. Waiting alone in a waiting room. In pain, semi floating in and out of unconsciousness. I don't remember much of it. Maybe a good thing. I remember getting IV pain relief and sleeping at times at the nurses station. I was shipped in and out making me so much more disoriented.  

I took a lady to the bathroom because nurses seemed to have no time to take her to the bathroom. I was there 17 hours very very sick. Sitting with people seemingly in for coughs...flu symptoms...things that I felt looked like they could wait and were not an emergency. 

The local people in the department were what made this work. I received a scan then they lost it. It was not reported on. I had morphine twice and this was also not documented. How dangerous this is?

17 hours waiting in pain...misery....exhaustion....because no scan could be found...Dr disputed a stone was found. They argued with me and I felt they were implying I was making it up. They refused to let my partner come with me for our consult. They had nowhere for me to go but the middle of the walkway where the beds were. I broke down. He said there was nothing physically wrong with me. 

Next day I had gallstones confirmed, including one very big one which can only be treated by surgery. 

17 hours of hell.

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