"Thankful I wasn't seriously ill!"

Anything else?

I was rushed in with suspected meningitis from the one life Hartlepool. The doctor wanted me to go by ambulance incase I became more sick on route as we had to go to north tees. I felt it was a waste of an ambulance as I didn't feel I warranted to be in one. If I was able to go to Hartlepool I would of went via car. On arrival to hospital, there wasn't a bed for me on EAU and got told to go to ambulatory care. They said I was too ill and shipped back to EAU. Ambulance drivers got told to take me to a bed someone was in! The ambulance drivers then had to tell the man he could go. After the said man left the bed the ambulance drivers kindly cleaned and made my bed to make me more comfortable. It took them a good 20 minutes or so to hand over as the staff were so over stretched. I wasn't then seen by anyone till a good hour and half, I know this because my partner had time to go get a back sorted for me and sort out affairs before coming to see me and no one had still seen me. When the staff finally got round to me they were great, even though some didn't know we're anything was. After assessing me they took bloods and decided to give me pain relief and iv antibiotics. They diagnosed me with bacterial tonsillitis. When my iv pain relief was given they attached my drip to the tv as they had no drip stands. I was gobsmacked. They didn't come back with my iv antibiotics. Later I found out its because they ran out! Really!? I couldn't believe my ears. A hospital with no iv antibiotics left! Whilst my iv line was in id fallen asleep. When waking I needed the toliet, so I pressed the button for a nurse. 15minutes went by and no nurse arrived so I managed to get the drip from the tv and just go to the toliet (I was in a side ward with a toliet) the toliet was broken and disguising. I then walked to the nurses station to ask someone to take my drip out. I was told to go back to my room! My discharge was just as bad. A nurse came in and woke me with my prescription and discharge papers. I was asked to sign. She told me I could go home. Told me about my medication, removed my iv line and asked me to get ready and go in the family room as someone was waiting for my bed. I cannot thank my blessings I wasn't as ill as I had previously been with this in august of 2012 as I spent 5 days in hospital and was seriously ill. The care system scares me now and I hope I never get as ill as I was ever again until the sort out what they are doing and the big people at the top cutting costs realise lives are at risk. No money in the world can pay for life. They need more staff if you are persistent on squeezing 2 hospitals in 1.