"Poor Care"

As someone who works in health care I know all to well the pressures of the health system, and especially A&E as of late, however the care my relative received was disgusting! 

They where admitted with a temp of 38.4 rigours  unable to eat or drink a capillary refill of 4 seconds and was told to sit in the waiting room and wait for bloods, it’ll take a while. When questioned if blood cultures will be done due to the temp I was told it’s not necessary, when I asked for IV paracetamol to help again was told it takes too long to get it prescribed, and offered oral paracetamol! 

We sat for 2 hours before I spoke with the receptionist and explained I was concerned about sepsis I was told the longest wait is 4 hours, we have only waited for 2. 

I then sent my relative up to the reception, where she begged them for pain relief. After 3 and 1/2hrs we were brought to minors, when we got to minors I spoke with a senior doctor explained again I was concerned about sepsis was told their blood pressure is fine. 

It got to the point where I went to the nurse in minors and begged them to help with tears in my eyes as my relative rigoured and bawled their eyes out in the waiting room, the nurse done their temp which was now 40, still no blood cultures done, was given oral paracetamol as we needed to try it first. The nurse was lovely in minors and very helpful and understanding, the only good side of it these nurses in minors actually cared about the state of my relative, I apologise I can’t remember their names. 

They were seen by the doctor who finally gave IV antibiotics and steroids and then we waited again to be seen by ENT.

When seen by ENT the doctor was efficient and very nice advised my relative needed to be admitted for further treatment and they would be getting a bed in ENT all being well

My relative never got that bed in ENT and lay across 2 chairs in minors. 

The system doesn’t work because they were young and walking they don’t care if there temperature was 40, however if they went into septic shock I would say their attitudes would be completely different.

Sepsis has 1 hour to treat and should of been treated from the moment a temperature is present with tachycardia, not one sepsis 6 guideline was followed. 

After observations were taken in triage they weren’t checked again for 4 hours when I had to ask the nurse in minors to please recheck the observations. 

If I hadn’t been present and if knowledge we could be in a completely worse situation, there needs to be better communication and a system for patients who can deteriorate and are at risk of sepsis so they can be monitored.

Yes the system and A&E is under pressure, however this does not excuse the fact people need to be cared and looked after properly, not left on a chair for nearly 10 hours with no care! 

I hope someone can take this care option and improve how patients are treated in the A&E department, not everyone is there for the craic, some people are genuinely unwell and need help in their time of need and unfortunately this wasn’t shown or given. 

Again would like to say a massive thanks to the 2 members of staff in Minors in A&E on the day team, lovely and very considerate of people’s feelings. They need to be praised for their hard work they are the stars of A&E and the other nurses should maybe take a leaf out of their book!