"What a shame....."

I have had an issue with my gall bladder and after two very bad attacks, had the misfortune to find myself in A & E. Whilst I realise it was busy, I found sitting amongst the abusive drunks and heroin addicts very unpleasant. A young patient stepped in to tell the addict walking around with a bowl of sick to sit down and leave me alone. I was discharged at 1.30 am and told to attend the hospital the next day.

I will say that it is disgusting that patients leave their food rubbish in the corridors. I watched ants crawl along the floor as I waited to be seen. My mother was a Staff Nurse for years in High Wycombe and it was spotless. I arrived the next day and was told that I should not have eaten for the scan, this is despite the fact that I asked the doctor the previous night if I should eat.

I was told to leave and come back. After review I was told to go home as I ‘did not look unwell anymore’ and to have a follow up appointment next week with the surgical team on ward 15 and further blood tests. The next morning I received a call to tell me to come back to have more tests as my bloods were very abnormal. I went up to Ward 15 and had more tests and a line into my arm.

I was booked for an MRI scan, then the long wait for the Doctors to review my results. Much later a Doctor marched in and blurted my diagnosis out in front of my two sons who were waiting to see if they needed to bring me home or not. I found this humiliating, the results were MINE and they should have been delivered in privacy and with the door closed. I was then told different things; you are going home, you are being admitted, we have a bed, we are waiting for a bed, you need more IV antibiotics, you will be sent home with antibiotics. I am now confused, tired, hungry and VERY SCARED! The brilliant nursing sister (ward 15), felt I should have two meals to see if I could keep the food down and should stay overnight.

They brought a bed and wheeled me into the ward. A Doctor arrived, pulled the curtain and proceeded to explain in great detail (for all to hear) my situation and to come back for follow up appointments.

They told me to go home if I felt well enough and have further blood tests with my GP. After they left the nurse said I should stay and have something to eat.

I wandered out in the corridor to update my family.

The doctor returned and told me to go home and I waited over an hour to have my line removed and for my discharge papers. Some advice; Clean up your hospital, keep those drunk/high on drugs, away from other patients. Doctors; you are not God and you may well be clever.

However you are in a profession where you are dealing with people. REAL people with issues, problems and we are not perfect. So treat us with the RESPECT and the DIGNITY that we deserve. If you need to give a diagnosis make sure it cannot be heard by an entire ward. Finally, I am getting referred to another hospital.

There is no way I am being taken into Stoke Mandeville again