"Long evening at A&E in Arrowe Park Hospital"

Went accompanying someone with a hand fracture. Spent about an hour at the walk-in centre (very new, modern and clean looking). Then spent three hours at A&E and X-ray. A&E looked very run down. It was being painted at the time that triggered allergies in the patient I was with.

I realise fractured hand is a low priority case, but staff seemed very busy. For example we were called in to triage, then before the triage nurse even sat down, she left us and took another patient in a wheelchair to the toilet (no initial explanation as to where she'd gone).

Service was fine, after second triage nurse had seen patient (first had been in walk-in centre, slight duplication really!), off to x-ray. However computer froze and wouldn't print X-ray form (further wait). Only person at X-ray, but patient arrived on trolley, then one in wheelchair so they had to be seen first.

Back to busy A&E, more waiting for doctor to see patient. Unfortunately her allergies were triggered by the painting going on.

Good care, but seemed understaffed/overworked for caseload.

In contrast, a policewoman came in with sore thumb at same time and was seen by triage straight away!