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"Reaction to covid vaccine"

About: South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust / NHS 111 William Harvey Hospital (Ashford) / Accident and emergency

(as a service user),

I had covid vaccine a few days ago, and had quite a bad reaction for longer than usual.  I spoke to a private GP first, who advised me to go to A&E, but as I felt too unwell for the journey I decided to phone 111 to see if I absolutely had to or not. 

It was arranged for a paramedic clinician to call me back, and this brilliant lady was on the phone to me for 40 minutes,  checking all my symptoms etc.  I was extremely reluctant to go to A&E as my local hospital has no understanding of my health condition,  and they always throw me out at the soonest opportunity, but this kind paramedic was insistent that my reaction was a very rare occurrence that did need urgent care.  She also said I should go straight to A&E, so my husband took me, & we spent the night there.  As I needed to be in a wheelchair,  they did at least let him in too. 

I had various tests, & then saw an A&E doctor.  She asked why we were there, and asked what long covid is, she told me I wasn't having a bad reaction to the vaccine, it must be something else.  I wish the lovely paramedic I'd spoken to at home had been there at that moment,  she would have been furious with that doctor.  The same old story - no one wants to take any responsibility for anything.   She said my dizziness was likely to be because of drinking alcohol - I don't drink alcohol as I can't tolerate it, but she appeared totally convinced that's what the problem was.  There was absolutely no attempt to do anything to try and relieve any symptoms - I do not understand how this hospital operates safely.  I asked for morphine as my pain levels were very high, but she wouldn't give me any (even to get home on) because morphine isn't for dizziness.  I said I needed it for the pain, but she said I hadn't presented with pain - I said that actually I had, so please could she give me some, but she was completely unmoved. 

There was absolutely no way I could communicate with the 'robots' at this hospital's A&E department,  they barely acted human, without trying to sound rude. I am yet again just a number, and I got no help whatsoever, in fact it made all my symptoms worse - as per the norm.  It always seems to be my fault that I'm there.  Last time I went there I vowed never to go back - now I know why I made that vow.  How can the place be safe?  I found it in no way fit for purpose.  How can you run an A&E department with doctors who demonstrated to me so little medical knowledge?  It is beyond me to even begin to understand it, and it is pretty frightening.  If that's all the care every patient gets then I am appalled beyond words.

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Responses

Response from Marie Clifford, Patient Experience Officer, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust 2 years ago
Marie Clifford
Patient Experience Officer,
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Submitted on 01/11/2021 at 10:06
Published on Care Opinion at 10:06


I am sorry to hear that you suffered an adverse reaction to the covid vaccine and hope that you are now beginning to feel much better.

Thank you for your kind comments about the clinician you spoke to from our 111 service. I know that they would be pleased to see what you have said and I would be grateful if you could contact us to give us more information so that we can identify them. We will then pass them and their manager a copy of your comments. You can email us at compliments@secamb.nhs.uk or leave us a voicemail at 0300 123 9242.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

Marie

Marie Clifford

Patient Experience Officer

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Nexus House, Gatwick Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9BG

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Update posted by RepeatHistory (a service user)

Hello Marie thank you for your response, I think I am just beginning to feel a little better, thank you.

To be clear, I do not want my experience with the vaccine to put other people off getting it! It is, in my opinion, essential unless you cannot have it for medical reasons. I am a person who reacts to a lot of things, & 99.9% of people have absolutely nothing to fear from it.

I will email or phone you with more details ASAP.

Thanks again

Response from Marie Clifford, Patient Experience Officer, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust 2 years ago
Marie Clifford
Patient Experience Officer,
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Submitted on 03/11/2021 at 08:56
Published on Care Opinion at 08:56


Thank you, I'm pleased to hear you're beginning to improve.

We'll look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes

Marie

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