"Nine Hour Wait in A&E"

Anything else?

In June I started passing blood in my urine, was in great pain with it and suffering from frequency (every hour). I had seen my GP who arranged for a camera to be put into my bladder and an ultra sound at Medway Hospital. The appointment came through for 7 July. By 1 July the pain was unbearable and the paracetamol I was recemmended by my GP was pretty useless. I went to Meday Maritime A&E Department at 10pm and was in triage by 10.30pm having my blood pressure taken (which was high), a urine sample taken which was clearly full of blood and a blood test to see if I was aneamic. I then sat in the waiting room. A sign went up saying the waiting time was 4 1/2 hours. I tried not to go to the toilet for fear of missing my name being called although I had to go twice. Trying not to go was very painfull. At about 2am a nurse came into the waiting room, explained that they were very busy that night and if anyone would like to go home and see their GP the next day they could. The waiting room was very crowded but some people left. At 4am I went to the receptionist and asked of there was any progress on my case as I had not been seen by a doctor. She checked her computer and told me that my notes were being read by a doctor now as she could see a doctor's initials by my case entry so it will be any time now. I returned to my seat and at 6.30am I went to reception again (by this time the receptionist I spoke to had finished her shift). A new sign for 4 1/2 hours waiting had gone up. I enquired of the new receptionist if this meant another 4 1/2 on top of the time I had already waited. When I explained what had happened she rushed off to see a doctor. She then came back and said that I had been marked down as "Gone Home" and all my tests had been thrown away yet I never left the waiting room all night. I was then taken to see a doctor at 7am who could not apologise enough and said that it would never happen to anyone else again - selfish though it seems I was in so much pain - much worse than when I arrived the previous night - and so distressed I really didn't care about anyone after me. I expressed my concern that my tests had been thrown away but she didn't seem to want to repeat them. I left there with more inadequate painkillers and the advice to make sure I kept my appointment for the camera! I had to take the same day off work as it was already 7.30am before I left. Later that morning I went back to my GP who gave me some decent painkillers. All in all I consider I received appaling treatment from the A&E Department.