"The quiet, clean A&E department"

What I liked

The quiet, clean A&E department

What could be improved

I took my 8 yr old son into a&e as he woke up in the morning and couldn't walk. He could not place his feet flat on the floor as he said the backs of his legs hurt so he crawled on his hands and knees to get around.

After waiting nearly 3 hrs a nurse examined him by bending and checking his hips, ankles, kness and joints and said he does not know what the problem is; he fetched the consultant!

After asking me personal questions about mine and my sons personal circumstances at home, the consultant checked my son's joints, knees etc and moved bits of his body parts around. He stood him up, which my son was in great pain and told him to walk, in which my son hobbled in an awkward manner.

The consultant brusquely told me and the nurse to accompany him outside the curtain and told me there was physically nothing wrong with my son and it is all psychological and behavioural and I was to ‘play it down’. I said he was not ‘putting it on’ and that he was obviously in pain and was told it was a behavioural issue and psychological and he would be sending a full detailed report to my son’s GP. He continued to add that he WOULD NOT be taking it further with any blood tests or scans as he has examined him and there is physically nothing wrong with him and I should give it 2-3 weeks before doing anything more!

He explained to my son that there was nothing physically wrong and to get his socks and shoes on and that he was to walk out. My son was instructed to stand up straight, as he was bending his back due to the pain in the backs of his legs, and to walk properly out. My son did this as best as he could but was clearly in pain and when he reached outside collapsed on the floor crying saying his legs hurt.

Anything else?

The consultants manner was condescending and judgemental. It was blatantly obvious that as soon as he heard I was a single parent with a partner that doesn’t live with us he assumed my son’s pain was due to disturbances at home and ‘diagnosed’ him with psychological and behaviour problems. This man has no idea about our family life and, as far as I know, is not a qualified child psychologist or paediatrician! It is worrying that he is diagnosing children in this way when there could be something seriously wrong! I felt I was treated with suspicion and felt a neurotic and over protected Mother who should not have bothered him. My son has NOT got psychological or behavioural problems and has never displayed this or other behaviour like this ever before. Friends and family are shocked when they heard these ridiculous remarks as my son is the most balanced, healthy boy a Mother could wish for. He will now have a mark on his health records with this absurd accusation from a Consultant who saw him for approx. 10 minutes.

I have absolutely no confidence in Solihull hospital’s consultants now and in future will travel to Warwick, Redditch or Heartlands where I hope the medical staff are more professional!