"Don't go here if you're old"

My 95 year old mother was treated appallingly here. Admitted by ambulance with a TIA already diagnosed by paramedics, they flatly denied that she'd had a stroke and came up with a wide range of alternative theories for her collapse. Her GP has since confirmed the paramedics' diagnosis and is at as much of a loss as we are at the doctors' refusal to acknowledge her condition. As a result of her fall when she collapsed, she sustained a cut on her arm which the junior doctor clearly thought beneath him, slapping on a piece of gauze and anchoring it with a short piece of tape. Fortunately the wonderful A&E matron - the only person we encountered who inspired confidence - spent some time dressing it beautifully and clearly cared about how it healed. The (correct) decision was made to discharge my mother and then we were kept waiting over an hour to have a cannula removed from her hand. Small wonder there was a waiting room full of people when we left as we had been unnecessarily occupying a cubicle for well over an hour. This used to be one of the best A&E departments going, over performing on its four hour target and providing exceptional care. Sadly it seems those days have gone. My abiding memory of our visit is the contemptuous attitude of the junior doctor who displayed breath taking lack of compassion for a confused old lady. It is to be hoped that senior doctors take him in hand and train him to do a better job.