"Variation between staff attitudes"

Last July, 2012, I attended A&E on the advice of my Oncology Nurse, who, following a telephone conversation, suspected that I was having a drug reaction - I was breathless and my tongue was beginning to swell. She informed me that she would contact Northwick Park and tell them that I was on the way.

When I arrived, the triage nurse called the SHO, he had received the call from my nurse and took me straight through. He asked a senior nurse where he could put me. I was becoming increasingly breathless at this point. She replied that there was no bed. The Doctor pointed out that I was having difficulty breathing. She shrugged her shoulders, said 'there's no bed, what do you expect me to do? ' and walked away.

The doctor left me briefly and found a couch in a small cubicle in a triage area, he put a sheet on the bed and another, seemingly more professional nurse arrived to assist him.

I received IV hydrocortisone and adrenalin and some salbutamol and responded well to this. There was no monitoring equipment available in this space, and so having been discharged later, when I was well enough, I had to return to my hospital where I was having my cancer treatment, for a chest x ray.

The Doctor and nurse were professional and appropriate. In my opinion the senior nurse was not. I am, myself and Adult Resus Trainer and so was all too aware of what would happen if I was left untreated. In my opinion her actions were, to say the least, potentially detrimental to my health and well being.