"care and information"

Recently in the early hours I called for an ambulance as I had woke up with chest pain extending down my left arm and jaw.  I rang the service and the lady who responded was very kind and reassuring I told her I was on my own but would try to go downstairs and open front door. I was able to do this and waited till the ambulance arrived they rang door bell I tried to shout that door was open but felt weak, but I got up and opened door I was frightened that they would not try door and leave they entered.

I returned to the sofa feeling very weak I explained what had happened and how I was feeling, the staff gave me aspirin and a puff of spray and placed monitor on my chest.   At this time I was trying to keep calm as I could not believe this was happing to me, The staff told me nothing was showing on monitor and they would take me to hospital.  They then told me to get my dressing gown (it was upstairs ) but I did not feel able to climb stairs at this point.  I had a coat downstairs and I got that and put it on, still feeling weak, I asked re hospital and was told I could got to wishaw or monklands I chose wishaw, they then walked out of the door with me following.   I locked door came down the stairs (3) then the staff asked if I would like to take his arm to walk to ambulance.  The other member of staff was already at gate and had the monitor with her.

Once inside ambulance I was seated on chair and strapped in before we had even taken of I had another attack resulting in severe pain in chest, arm neck and the sweat, at no stage was I monitored in ambulance and no comfort was offered.  On arrival I was wheel chaired into A&E and the last thing the ambulance officer said was good luck. I was then put into a cubicle at the end of the row blood test taken and morphine given after a while around 7.30-8am a member of staff came and moved my bed into an area they said to watch me

at that stage a staff member asked me if anyone was with me they then rang my family to inform them I was there (message left on answer machine ).  the next thing that happened was I was taken into another room as they told me then I was being transferred to another hospital (hairmyres).  This was the first anybody had taken the time to speak to me about what was going on.  I was then asked about family and one of the staff called my family (left message ).  Once handed over to another ambulance crew I was looked after and comforted throughout the journey once at hospital I was taken to theatre and a stent in place then onto a ward.  The whole experience was frightening as no information was given.  The treatment at hairmyres was first class and I am now on the road to recovery

but I wonder what the first ambulance crew would have said if I did not make it, not monitored, even when all signs pointed to heart attack no matter what the machine said.