"Communication issues"

I visited this unit recently with my daughter. It is a new extended service with the ED now relocated. The care was excellent & the issue hopefully will be resolved. 

However, I found one of the reception staff quite difficult. We heard them tell one attendee that they obviously had a medical emergency and should be in the unit, but that lots of people were there for no good reason. This is less than ideal and slightly odd given that it is a minor injuries unit specifically designed to reserve ED for emergencies and the most serious cases. 

This member of staff locked the front doors, and we heard them discuss how this would be done and foyer lights turned off. There was no announcement made to patients as to how they would be able to leave. No signs. 

I appreciate that this member of staff would have had a long day explaining to people who were unaware that the new ED had opened and they were in the wrong place. However, I feel there was probably no need for them to be quite so unpleasant. 

The door locking could have been handled better, in my view. As we were called for treatment, some patients began to question how they would escape in an emergency and other staff again quite curtly advised about another exit. The atmosphere began to feel tense. 

I feel this could have been avoided by improved communication and perhaps a poster or sign. 

I hope this is a teething problem, as the Unit is a great addition to the hospital.