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An early morning in A & E........

Story from nhs.uk

"An early morning in A & E........"

About: Kent & Canterbury Hospital

i arrived at A & E at appx. 0100 with my wife and daughter attending.

I was put in a side room presumably to avoid cross-contamination.

I had an ECG and a blood sample taken by a nurse.

I did not see another nurse (let alone a Doctor) until 0815.

Is it common policy to abandon patients in this way, without an occasional check of their vital signs?

My daughter asked for a Doctor several times but was told that all the Doctors were elsewhere "on emergencies"

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Responses

Response from Kent & Canterbury Hospital 8 years ago
Kent & Canterbury Hospital

Submitted on 21/01/2016 at 15:30
Published on nhs.uk on 29/01/2016 at 22:41

I am so sorry to learn that you felt abandoned - someone should have checked on you from time to time, not the least, to update you with regard to progress.

Sometimes emergency situations do draw our staff away from being able to provide the immediate care that we would wish for all patients, but I trust that you had the necessary treatment in due course and that you are now on the road to recovery.

Please accept our apologies for what must have been a frustrating and dispiriting wait in the Emergency Centre.

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Response from Sally Smith, Chief Nurse and Director Of Quality, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust 8 years ago
Sally Smith
Chief Nurse and Director Of Quality,
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 24/01/2016 at 08:05
Published on Care Opinion on 25/01/2016 at 09:58

picture of Sally Smith

Thank you for contacting us about this worrying experience. I am so sorry you were left for so long without anyone checking you were alright, and that you didn't need anything. This is not the standard we aspire to, and I will indeed pick it up with the Matron of the department. Once again, apologies for this poor experience.

Sally

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