"There was no reassurance or understanding"

My dad had taken very unwell and has a history of respiratory and cardiac issues. I attended a&e with my dad and when being triaged the nurse asked me to wait and wanted to speak to my dad own his own. Fair enough. However, My dad said he wanted me to come in as I am his carer, to which the nurse looked at me and said asked if my dad was able to tell them the "craic". I was really taken back at this as my dad is an older man who was very clearly unwell. He didn’t even catch what the nurse had said and I had to repeat it to him.

My dad’s symptoms were literally shrugged off and the nurse explained that because he has COPD his symptoms were normal for him. I knew this wasn’t correct as he was so clearly unwell. We had waited in a&e around 4 hours (which I know isn’t that long), my dad couldn’t sit any longer so we left. We were home about 30minutes when I had to phone an ambulance, they arrived within about 10 minutes and they immediately put him on 10litres of oxygen. Long story short he was admitted for 2 weeks on oxygen for the majority of the time.

He literally had no energy and I had to help get him washed and wash his hair etc. for the next week, something which I have never had to do for my dad.  Every other nurse in a&e was kind and caring towards my dad and were always on hand if we had any questions. The triage nurse just let the whole team down with her uncaring and unbothered attitude. 

I feel that this nurse in particular needs to realise just how scary it is when your loved one, who you know the best, takes unwell. There was no reassurance or understanding from them at all.