"I felt abandoned and invisible while I was very scared"

Recent admission to PRI with Bilateral pulmonary embolism. 

Having developed a tachycardia and increasing breathlessness I was advised to attend A&E by my GP. 

The cats in A&E was caring, kind and compassionately professional

Having had all tests and investigations it was determined I had likely had a pulmonary embolism and I was admitted to Ward 4. The porter who took me to the ward showed me to my bed space and left. A lovely health care support worker offered me a drink and as I hadn’t eaten since lunchtime kindly found me a sandwich. 

I was in a bay and recognised how busy the staff were, however, no one came to speak with me, or explained anything about my care etc and I was very frightened. I felt abandoned. 

After an hour, I got into bed but had no access to a call button and I was really anxious. I think at some point someone did my observations but there was no conversation, reassurance etc. Never orientated to the ward.

I was seen by a Dr, asked some questions and they kindly got me an extra blanket as I was cold. 

Clearly as an admission unit, the bay was busy and noisy but there was no acknowledgement of any disruption from any of the staff. 

I was wakened and told I had to move to another ward as they needed my bed. I was transferred to ward 5 - after being assured it was not a clinical need I was a leg to relax. The kindness, care and compassion in ward 5 was such huge contrast to the episode in ward 4. 

I stayed in ward 5 until early the following morning, when again I was wakened to be told I had to move back to ward 4. The HCSW took me in a wheelchair to ward 4 and dropped me off at my bed. I was somewhat surprised to find myself in a mixed bay ( interesting how the proximity of the beds made me much more uncomfortable than the mixed bay in ward 5). 

No one came near me after my transfer. Again, I was scared and had no call button available. 

The bay was noisy and busy with admissions which is understandable, but no one spoke to me for four hours, when I had my obs done. 

I was extremely uncomfortable in the mixed bay and very conscious of being able to hear the men using the toilet in the bay. Therefore, I didn’t use the toilet or wash in the time I was there. It would have been nice if someone had even suggested a more private area to wash in. 

I saw my consultant, who confirmed my discharge. Other than requesting to have my cannula removed when I was informed it would likely be after lunch before I could go home, and when the cannula was removed I  spoke with no member of staff all morning and left the ward when my husband arrived to collect me again without speaking with any one. 

My journey across the hospital was really traumatising. I felt abandoned and invisible while I was very scared. 

Transfers at night are disorientating and difficult but to go through this experience was very distressing.