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"Delay in triage meant my heart arrythmia couldn't be captured on ECG"

About: Royal Albert Edward Infirmary / Accident and emergency Royal Albert Edward Infirmary / Cardiology

(as the patient),

I have a heart arrythmia which needs to be captured on further ECG recordings to enable my treatment. When I have an attack I have to present at A&E for an ECG and/or to manage my symptoms as they sometimes do not self-limit. My symptoms are often accompanied by chest pain. I visited the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary recently with a high heart rate and chest pain. The receptionist put me straight to triage. However, I was not triaged straight away and was made to wait my "turn in a very long queue (quote from the triage nurse).

Once triaged I was taken to a bed for an ECG. The ECG was presented to the doctor in the resuscitation ward who seemed more interested in talking about Facebook and talking to the nurses. I was eventually treated by a lovely doctor. If I had been triaged sooner and had the ECG sooner, it may have caught the episode. However by the time I had been through this process, my symptoms had gone.

In my opinion this experience was unacceptable. I am an employee of the NHS and I was disgusted by my experience.

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Responses

Response from Susan Heighway, Patient Relations / PALS Manager , Patient Relations / PALS, Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust 10 years ago
Susan Heighway
Patient Relations / PALS Manager , Patient Relations / PALS,
Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust
Submitted on 20/12/2013 at 16:40
Published on Care Opinion at 16:45


I was sorry to learn of your experience in A&E if you wish this to be looked at more formally please contact the Patient Relations Team who will take this forward for you.

Kind regards

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