"I hope not to have to visit this department any time soon"

I had cause to visit Antrim hospital ED on recently with my elderly mother on the recommendation of the doctor in Dalriada urgent care. He had examined mum and felt she needed blood tests done to identify probable infection.

We arrived in ED about late night and mum was triaged fairly quickly which I thought was positive. She had blood taken shortly after this and we were sent back to waiting room to wait to see doctor. Unfortunately we were told it was several hour wait. My mum is elderly, has dementia and very significant arthritis alongside other health conditions. It was a very uncomfortable wait for her. The seating is so uncomfortable and the waiting room was cold.

The doctor eventually saw mum the following morning. The assessment was very brief and they sent mum for chest x-ray and said they would take it from there. I asked if blood results were back and there response was, I haven't looked. Unfortunately there was very little compassion.

After the chest x-ray I assumed mum would be seen again by the doctor and be advised of outcome and have some intervention. Few hours later we were still waiting, I had seen the doctor with their coat on leaving the department.

I found a nurse and asked if they had any idea how much longer we would be waiting as mum was totally exhausted and in so much pain by this point. The nurse advised me that mum was not on their list. They said they would try to find out why.

They came back to us in about another half hour to say the system said mum had been given antibiotics and was discharged earlier in the morning. I assured her that the system was wrong and that we had seen no-one since mum had the x-ray. They went away again and came back with a box of antibiotics and said we could go home now. I advised that mum had not been given any diagnosis and that I would like to speak to a doctor.

They brought another doctor who had not previously seen mum and they said that the chest x-ray showed consolidation and she needed to take the antibiotics for infection. I asked again about the blood results and they said, I don't know, I didn't look....and walked away.

Our whole experience was very unsatisfactory. I get that ED is very busy and the staff are under pressure but my impression from observing this department for many hours is that patients are really just processed through an inadequate system.

There is very little evidence of care or compassion for the patients who are there. It is not a suitable place for the elderly or children, I really feel it is inhumane to have an elderly person sitting on a little hard chair for all those hours, feeling unwell and cold, with no offer of blankets, a pillow or any other comfort.

I did observe a porter walking past when we were in the corridor outside x-ray and on seeing a young mum with a crying sick baby, he brought a blanket for them. The mum was so appreciative and I thought this was very kind. The other staff I saw just don't seem to have time to actually care for patients and the doctors I encountered all looked to jaded and fed up.

I did not feel any confidence in the treatment my mum received and plan to follow up with her GP regarding the blood tests. I can't understand why mum had bloods taken if no-one took the time to check the results.

I understand that the staff in Northern Trust have just started to use Encompass and this may have caused some of the delays but I do not feel excuses the dismissive attitude of some of the staff. I really hope not to have to visit this department any time soon again.