I was very distressed yesterday having been left waiting for an ambulance from 3: 15 till 5: 50. I did not get home till 6: 50. I am a diabetic with other health problems and was just stranded.
Whist I was still being seen by the doctor I believe the renal nurse told the ambulance driver, who came to find out if I was ready to be collected, that I would be another 5 minutes. I found out later that they had a couple of other people waiting in the ambulance; the decision was made to leave without me and not to keep the other patients waiting just 5 more minutes.
When my appointment ended I was told to wait for the ambulance but was not given any information about how long it would be. Although the tea room was just round the corner from where I was told to wait I could not get any refreshments in case the ambulance came for me. Several drivers came and went but none were for me, no one was able to tell me when I would be picked up. It is the lack of communication that is hard to understand, If I’d known it would be another 30 minutes or an hour before the my transport would be ready I would have got something to eat, in the end I had to tell a porter that I was diabetic and my sugar levels were dropping so they could get something for me.
It is traumatic going to hospital in the first place and then to be kept waiting for so long is distressing. There were a lot of more elderly people also waiting for transport so this is not just about me but the others who also have been kept waiting for hours. What if this happens when I need to go for dialysis 3 times a week?
"Lack of communication that is hard to understand"
About: Crosshouse Hospital / Urology Crosshouse Hospital Urology KA2 0BE Scottish Ambulance Service / Patient Transport Service Scottish Ambulance Service Patient Transport Service EH12 9EB
Posted by Roomy712 (as ),
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