My son had badly gashed his head on our last morning at a local hotel. We were seen by a nurse quite soon after arriving and were told he needed to see a doctor. The nurse said there had been no doctors available that morning. We then waited for nearly four hours in which time I only saw children being called out to see doctors once.
When I queried whether it was likely to be quicker for me to drive back to my local London hospital, I was told "probably". When a member of staff went to find a nurse, she came back to say there were no nurses in the department either. So this was a children's A&E apparently with neither doctors nor nurses.
It felt like we would of all have got more attention sitting at home. Why were our taxes paying for a department with no staff? When I began to kick up a fuss, miraculously both a nurse and then a doctor appeared.
It appears that at this hospital unless you are stroppy and eloquent enough to make a fuss, children will be left unattended. The doctor and the nurses who finally stitched up my son were lovely but sick/injured children shouldn't be left without medical care.
"Waiting time in paediatric A&E"
About: Royal Gwent Hospital / Accident & Emergency Royal Gwent Hospital Accident & Emergency NP20 2UB
Posted by Dannymoo (as ),
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Update posted by Dannymoo (a parent/guardian) 10 years ago
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