"Slow and broken system where people are not respected"

Hello bluepn39

My name is Victoria McCrory and I am the Assistance Clinical Services Manager for Causeway ED. I am sorry to hear that your wife has recently been unwell and had to attend the department for assessment and treatment. I apologise for the experience which you have described above; this is not the standard of care which we aim to achieve within the department.

EDs across the region have remained under sustained pressures for a lengthy period of time, and unfortunately due to these pressures waiting times to be seen and reviewed can be delayed. We continue to work with our site co ordination and pt flow colleagues to reduce pressures within the department, however at times delays remain.

The greenzone is a part of the main Emergency Department. A number of streams work out of this area including minor injuries, physio assessments and what we refer to as Drs minors. As there are a number of streams working out of this area, it can appear at times that patients are not being seen according to time order or clinical need; patients being reviewed under different streams may be assessed quicker and discharged quicker depending on their presenting complaint and the level of assessment which they require.

I am very sorry that you and your wife felt that you were treated like rubbish and not taken seriously; this standard of care does not align with trust core values and is not the standard I would expect to be upheld within the department.

I will ensure your feedback is shared with all staff in the department for learning and tabled at the next ED Governance meeting.

I hope your wife is making a strong recovery, and I hope the next time you have to attend the department that you and your wife have a more positive experience.

Yours Sincerely

Victoria McCrory

ACSM CAU ED