I accompanied my mum when she was brought into TROH last night. A&E was busy, as it was a Saturday evening, and we had a long wait (first in a corridor, then in the treatment room). Not long after being transferred into the treatment room, we were offered a drink but, despite a lengthy wait, no-one checked we were okay, or pointed us in the direction of the drinks machine in A&E reception (a closer machine would be a boon). Several nurses/HCAs did an ECG, and took blood pressure but, at no point, did anyone introduce themselves (though one nurse did smile at my mum), told us what the next step would be, or give an indication as to how long things would take. The doctor was very thorough but spoke to my mum in terms of 'atrial fibrillation' and 'PEs'. My mum is 73 and would have appreciated being spoken to about her 'irregular heartbeat' and 'blood clots on the lungs'. The doctor said they would 'try' and find someone to take her blood pressure again but, about 15 minutes later, I heard a nurse speaking to a HCA about it and they'd not been asked to do it. I appreciate that A&E is busy, and timings are subject to change, but there needs to be better communication between staff and their patients. It's a distressing enough time without being left out of the loop for 9 hours.
"Not enough information"
About: Royal Oldham Hospital Royal Oldham Hospital Oldham OL1 2JH
Posted via nhs.uk
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