"They barely looked at my daughter"

I have had three births at Medway Hospital and couldn't fault any of them at the time. The midwives, although completely rushed off their feet, were excellent and very caring. The last time I used the hospital for my youngest daughter was in 2012 and I was very happy with the care we received.

However (on the odd occasion) over the past few years that we have had to use the a&e department I have been left very disappointed.

I would not use a&e unless I was concerned for mine or my children's health but each time we have been fobbed off and sent to MEDOCC. The most recent case of this happened with my 3 yr old daughter who was burning up and showing no signs of improvement. After speaking to 111 I was advised to take her to hospital after she developed a rash.
As a mother of a young child with a raging temperature and rash we immediately imagine the worst scenario- meningitis.

I was seen after a short wait by a triage nurse who was the most unsympathetic person I have ever met. They practically had a go at me for brining my sick child to the hospital and laughed when I mentioned that it could be meningitis! They barely looked at my daughter apart from checking her temperature which they admitted with high. She told me to continue with calpol and see my GP! !

I wasn't at all happy with the nurse or their diagnosis and took my daughter to the a&e in Maidstone Hospital where she was checked over thoroughly and the doctor gave her antibiotics for a viral infection which had made her glands swell. If I had listened to the triage nurse at Medway my little girl could've gone down hill fast. I've lost all faith in Medway hospital now.