"An unfortunate experience..."

Anything else?

Accompanying a friend to hospital after he was sent by albulance from his GP, because of heart problems, was a pretty nerve wracking experience. Never really having much experience of hospitals or how they work, I was surprised when we were just left in the medical assessment unit for over 3 hours with no information. Whilst there was a laminated booklet explaining the MAU, this didn't say anything about visitors. Several times we were promised that a doctor would be coming "with a plan" but this did not happen and we were left extremely uncomfortable, thirsty and not even knowing even where the toilets were (the nursing staff had disappeared after an hour or so, never to return). My friend was wheeled into a side ward and I was asked if I was staying the night. I responded that I didn't know and was taken through into the ward. After another 2 hours or so a doctor came and things seemed to start progressing but by this it was almost midnight. The same nurse, who had been absent in the intervening time, came back and asked again if I was staying the night. When I replied "yes" I was asked quite rudely "why?" and told that they didn't let visitors to stay the night. She then said that they only let people stay for special cases, negating her earlier comment. When I pointed this out the nurse said she had told me earlier that I couldn't stay the night. This was not true! When I said it would now be expensive and difficult to get back to where I live (In Hertfordshire) and would she be paying my cab fair she shrugged and walked off. Whilst on the wing I was surprised by the lack of communication and empathy skills on display. Nurses ignored patients waiting for medication, were offhand and extremely disrespectful towards patients (I witnessed a nurse saying rudely to a patient "what are you saying to me?") and heard nurses laughing about a patient who had wet the bed. Luckily I do not live in the Chertsey area and will never, hopefully, have to set foot in this hospital again. Needless to say, I will submitting an official complaint.