"Scarey place"

Anything else?

Initially I was very satisfied with my treatment as within 90 minutes of arriving at A & E I had been given a urine test, blood test and CT scan. The diagnosis was a kidney stone which required treatment. I was moved up to EAU and this was when things changed. A surgeon visited me and said I had a stone on the right side and would be referred to the Urology Team. This was a mystery as the pain was on the left! She returned ten minutes later to say it was on the left.

I was moved up to Jersey Ward at around 11.30 pm. My bed had no working light and no call button. At around 1 am I woke up in absolute agony and had to make my way to the nursing station for some help. I was leaning on the desk, bent over in pain and two nurses walked straight past me chatting! I returned to my bed and one came to ask what was wrong and did call a doctor who arrived within 20 minutes. She prescribed suppositories and a morphine injection. The nurse actually inserted a suppository in my vagina instead of rectum, surely a nurse should know which is which?

In the morning I received a visit from the urologists who explained that I would receive surgical intervention that day but would be nil by mouth for the rest of the day until the op.

An IV drip for fluid was ordered at around 9.15 but despite numerous requests was not put up til 1.45 pm. Also, no pain relief was given from 6.15 am although a nurse did put down some tablets next to the 'nil by mouth' sign which myself and the doctor just looked at in amazement and he picked up and removed.

The op was carried out at 7 pm that evening but the next morning an on-call doctor said I could be discharged, despite the fact I was on oxygen, still bleeding and feeling quite unwell.

I stayed til the Sunday and even my discharge was not straightforward. The nurse tried to give me some painkillers that I had already told three people I was unable to take. When she was told this she snatched everything up and said 'well I can't discharge you then'.

It took another hour to sort out a different painkiller, they only had four tablets to give me as the pharmacy is closed on a Sunday.

I know the NHS is understaffed but why employ people who have no common sense and do not care about the patients they are supposed to be looking after. Luckily I could speak up and had my partner to do so as well. I feel sorry for old people and those who are too sick to realise the poor treatment they are receiving.