"Very upsetting and painful experience"

What I liked

The Nursing Staff

Close to home

What could be improved

The Nursing Staff I dealt with were expceptionally nice and helpful. As in most of my past experiences, I found them much nicer to deal with than the Doctors/Consultants. The Nursing Staff asked me questions and actually waited for a response rather than talking over me and cutting me off like the Consultant did that came round to assess me. He was also patronising suggesting it was "just lady troubles" causing my pains (it wasn't!) and didn't even know I had MS as he had not looked at my notes.

I just felt like he treated me as a mild annoyance rather than a patient that needed treating. I found this upsetting and difficult as I would have much rather been at home anyway and had not chosen to be admitted. So to be treated like I didn't deserve to be there when I didn't want to be there anyway made me quite upset. I also found that I was not kept up to date about what was happening with me and what they planned to do. I stayed in overnight not having a clue what was going on, and the Consultant even suggested a scan on me would be a waste of money! Even if that was the case I didn't even request one so why bring did he feel the need to mention one and then say that in front of me, highly unprofessional. I only wish I had been well enough and had enough energy to make a complaint after I asked to be discharged from the hospital.

But I then spent the next few months going through tests that could have been done in a few days if they had kept me in. Instead I had to go through so much pain and lots of tests that dragged on for months, so a complaint was the last thing on my mind. I think some of the Doctors/Consultants up there need to be taught a lesson about how to actually talk to the patients from some of the nurses!! A bit of kindness and respect when dealing with people is not that difficult especially if they are scared and in a lot of pain.

Anything else?

I was sent up to the Medical/Surgical Assessment Unit by my GP who had called ahead to ensure they had a bed ready. Whilst I appreciate that the ward I was placed on is extremely busy and they cannot plan ahead for more serious admissions coming in I was very distressed to have to sit in a cold side room for 3 hours to wait to even be initially seen. After this we then had to wait another 2 hours for a bed. I have Multiple Sclerosis so this combined with the fact that I was in severe agony with the stomach pains meant I had to go out onto the corridor and find a sofa to lay on as I was so uncomfortable, cold, in pain and drowsy. Eventually they put me into a bed which (to my knowledge) had actually been empty since we arrived in the ward and just needed the bedding changed!!! Another girl admitted at the same time as me was put onto a trolley and wheeled into a side/storage type room to wait until there was a bed for her. I know that the NHS is understaffed and under resourced but this was ridiculous. I don't like to leave a comment like this as I am a massive supporter of the NHS and the treatment given to me by the Nursing Staff was excellent but I feel I have to be honest about my experience. I had to have a Colposcopy a few months later as part of the tests and my experience then was very similar. I was very scared as I ented the operating room and the surgeon about to perform the colposcopy turned around and simply said "why are you having this done, you are young" and tutted. That was all that was said to me, no introductions or explanations, not a good thing to do to someone who is petrified of what is about to happen to them (I am a very nervous patient)AdmissionsColdsMultiple sclerosisOpening hoursStaffing LevelTemperatureBedsCorridorsTrolleyWardSurgical unitScarsNervousConsultantsDoctorsNursing staffSurgeonsComplaints