"Visit to hospital"

After being seen by a triage nurse and then a doctor for an ECG after 3 and a half hours I was told my daughter needed another ECG test and some blood tests done as the ECG didn’t look quite right for a 17year old and there wasn’t a cardiologist to look at the report. We were sent back to the reception of A and E where  I was told I could not stay with my daughter and a nurse proceeded to take her away - I was not told what was going to happen or how long anything would take. I was told to step outside the building and wait in the freezing cold. Thankfully my daughter had a phone on her albeit limited battery.

She was put in a place with other covid positive patients until a nurse realised my daughter was not covid positive - she was then moved and put somewhere else. My daughter had not eaten since 12 pm. We had arrived at the hospital at 3pm and it was now 7.00pm. No one came out to tell me what was happening- I was told to wait out in the freezing cold. On asking for a brief at around 9.00 pm I was told that I should phone the switchboard!. One nurse offered to go and find out if my daughter was ok- my daughter told me later that this nurse had told her to phone me to say she was ok (a better thing would have been to ask if she was ok and get me an update).

On returning the same nurse completely ignored me. On asking the receptionist once more about what was happening and how much longer everything would take I was told that as my daughter was 17 she had a brain of her own and that she was welcome to get up and leave the hospital at any point - I feel that this was a most unacceptable way of talking to a patient's mum . A few minutes later however a doctor was sent out to explain that an ECG had been done and that they were waiting for blood results which would take another 20minutes. I asked the doctor to ensure my daughter was given something to eat. My daughter contacted me an hour later that all but one result had come back. It was 11 pm before my daughter was discharged - no one bothered to come and brief me as to what the results showed or what any next steps would be.

I am totally appalled by the behaviour of some of the staff at A and E. My daughter broke down as soon as she came home - the whole experience of being left alone in a hospital without anyone helping her or explaining what was going on was too much for her and myself. How does not briefing a parent about their child’s health make sense? Instead to be told that you can walk out is unacceptable - surely reassurance should eh given to a parent and procedure be explained?

3pm to 11 pm - how does that even make sense - 8 hours out of which for 5 hours you are not told a thing.

Further on entry in the waiting room every time a patient was seen everybody was asked to move down a seat - so basically everyone got to sit on every single chair - great way to keep this virus at bay!