"4hrs 15 min wait for 5 min consultation"

Dreadful night in A&E on Thursday 19 Nov.

Arr 11 pm - dep 03.15 next day.

To start with ambulance Satnav on blink so journey X 3 times what it should've been.

Ambulance crew were brilliant but once at A&E felt very left to ones own devices - with no communication - on hard plastic chair in stinking corridor for hours and hours.

When arm was canulised - 2 hours in - they messed it up and had to take it out.

I was brought in because I'd passed out a few times at a concert I was singing in and been very sick, so I was very uncomfortable and embarrassed about my own state, sitting among others. I desperately wanted to clean up and lie down and have a cup of tea - none of which was possible. No cubicles, no facilities, no milk for tea.

When I went to enquire I was told 'you're next' then watched while patient after patient was taken ahead of me.

Eventually nurse in charge literally dragged doctor out of their room, chewing a snack, who stood with me waiting for a cubicle to be vacated. I was invited in and sat down - there were blood smears all round the floor - not mine! I had not witnessed one orderly swabbing until shortly before I left when one started in the corridor. Doc interviewed me for a few minutes then let me go.

Now why isn't there someone who can triage the walking wounded earlier than this?

I heard several other folk complaining and also being told the doctor was coming right away when the doctor wasn't. Why is there no patient 'care' to make people feel less uncomfortable; facility to clean up - possibly put on paper gown, and better communication about waiting times?

Why no milk for the tea?

Isn't that what most injured people crave?

Seemed to me several cubicles were being occupied by inpatients for whom there were no ward beds and the constant stream of ambulance casualties for major trauma diverted all resources. But as the doctor didn't even lay a finger on me, take any further tests or even look into my eyes or take a pulse, why the heck couldn't someone have done this 4 hours earlier!!