"The single worst experience of my life !"

Anything else?

Went in 3 weeks ago with chest pains. Drove myself in, reluctant to call an Ambulance. When I arrived, I went into A+E waiting room to be crammed in like cattle amongst drunks and various others. I was then forced to wait 40 mins before being seen to, despite constantly asking the receptionist how long it would be and telling her the pain was getting worse. I was told to "wait patiently until its my turn". When I was seen the nurse took my pulse and my details before getting a doctor to come and speak to me. The doctor then done an ECG and discovered I was in fact having a heart attack. They took me out the back and gave me medication, with about 10 people around me. They then made the decision to take me to a specialist hospital. The ambulance was already waiting and got me to the hospital in about 30 mins. There I had an emergency angioplasty... saving my life ! However why was I made to wait 40 mins before being seen when I arrived. Surely I should have been seen to immediately as if I had come in by ambulance. The doctors at Ashford the hospital I was taken to said I was probably a few minutes away from Cardiac arrest, which my survival chances would have been slim to say the least. I think I was lucky, others might not be with this critical delay in treatment. Avoid this hospital at all costs !