"Mixed experience during hospital stay"

I was admitted to ward 6 with severe lower abdominal pain. I receive IV morphine in A and E and also in ward 6 through the night and the next morning. At lunchtime on the next day, I was transferred to the xray department for a scan by the porter without a nurse escort and no blanket. My pain increased with the movement of the wheelchair and I was left outside the scan area alone. Due to the pain, I felt very faint and sick and was worried that I would faint as I was there alone.

The scan was carried out which again as I was moving about, increased my pain further and I was very upset. I was then wheeled to the reception area and left on my own until a porter was available. I was in a distressed state, cold and felt undignified and upset in a waiting area.

On return to the ward, the porter asked staff members at the nurse station what room I was in. A member of staff advised the porter, by this point I was in agony, crying and struggling to breathe normally as I got myself into a state due to pain.

I tried to get from the wheelchair to my bed with no assistance which again furthered my pain struggling to get into my bed. The pain was unbearable and I had what felt like pins and needles going through my arms, hands, legs and feet. I feel that the staff would have noticed on return to the ward that I was distressed, I was also crying within my room and feel that the staff would have heard me as my room was outside the nurse station.

It felt like a while later when a nurse came into my room and gave me oramorph, I asked the nurse if she could contact my mum (who was at the hospital) and she advised that I would need to calm down first. I also explained that I had pins and needles and she advised again that I would need to calm down and left my room.

Straight after that my mum walked into my room and immediately requested a paper bag as I was hyper-ventilating and also requested more pain relief as I was in agony.

It was only after intervention from my Mum that I was taken to theatre where I was found to have a torsion in my fallopian tube which was removed.

Whilst I fully accept that the scan was necessary, I feel that my transfer to xray and events leading from this, that I received no support from the nursing staff and do not understand why I had been left alone. If I had not been left by myself that I would not have been so distressed.

I would however like to thank the nightshift staff during my stay as their care and attention was great and very different from the day shift staff.