"Terrible time at Minor Injuries"

Anything else?

I attended Minor injuries yesterday aftering picking up two minor injuries (oddly enough) after a weekend of playing sport. It was an extremely disappointing experience, especially compared to the good service I received at the minor injuries unit on Sheppey the previous week.

The wait to be seen wasn't, at first glance, exceptional - it was 1 hour before I was taken to a cubicle to be assessed. Only, I wasn't assessed. The nurse reviewed the information I'd given to reception and then left me alone. For another hour. No communication, no reason as to why I would be left, how long I'd be seen etc. I'd have rather have been left in the waiting area, even if that is a thoroughly miserable, cramped place to be. When the nurse did return & completed the assessement I was sent over to x-ray & seen promptly by good, friendly staff. On return to the minor injuries, it took another 30minutes to be seen again.

What happened next is what surprised and disappointed me the most & I am left confused and frustrated. The nurse returned and informed me there was no sign of breaks in either of my limbs and if pain increased to go back to my GP. Thanks and goodbye. No diagnosis, no offer of explaination as to why my joints were swollen to twice their size and in considerable pain. I was already confident I hadn't broken anything and suspected a torn ligament and infect bursa. However, beyond being told I didn't have a broken bone, I wasn't offered any sort of treatment advice. I also wasn't offered the opportunity to ask these questions and was ushered out of the cubicle with a curt goodbye.

As a sportswoman, I train for my team sport 5 times a week and it's important for me to know what the injury is so I can get the right amount of rest vs rehabilitation & physio. So I will be left to visit my GP, who will no doubt refer me on further and so on & so forth. A long-winded way to go.

On top of this, the assessment nurses on duty were talking about patients behind their backs, being quite rude and dismissive about them & their injuries. I was shocked (and hate to think what they were saying about me).

I've visited a number of different minor injuries units in the last few years (thanks to a full-contact sport!) and this is by far the worst experience I've had. I will be submitting a complaint. Advice? Find a different unit. Minster Community Hospital is great!