"Burnley urgent care - 5 hour wait."

Recently went to the urgent care centre at 9pm on a Friday evening after being bit by a cat at work (veterinary nurse). When I arrived the receptionists were not friendly at all. The waiting room was full and there was a sign saying 4 hour wait (I only saw this when in the waiting room, the receptionists didn't tell me that). I waited until 1:30am to be seen. Other patients had OOH GP appointments so we're arriving and checking in with reception and being called straight through. I wasn't told I could make an appointment and come back later by reception. I didn't know this was an option. At 1:30am I was called through to be assessed. The consultant looked at my finger and said I would need antibiotics and an x-ray and tetanus. I was then left in the consult room without much communication. The porter came to get me to walk me to x-ray. The nurse there was lovely. I had some xrays done, walked back to the consult room where another patient had been placed. I stood outside in the corridor for a good 20 minutes. No one spoke to me, no one told me to go and wait back in the waiting room.

When the other patient left the consult room I went back in and sat down and waited there on my own again for a long time. A nurse (?) Then came along and said she would be with me shortly. The consultant I had seen was sat at a little reception and told his colleague he was going on his break and walked off....

The nurse came in to give me my tetanus and antibiotics. At this stage I asked what my xrays were showing, she didn't know. She hadn't been told or knew if they had even been looked at... I then asked her what I should be looking out for with my hand, as the consultant literally squeezed my finger and sent me for xrays... She gave me basic signs to look out for and told me if it gets worse to come back. Which I never would have done after that experience anyway.

I didn't mind the wait, I understand there is a long waiting time but the lack of communication between staff and to leave me as a patient sat on my own with no communication for so long is unacceptable and left me with no confidence in what they were telling me.

I have since been to Preston urgent care centre and had a very different and positive experience with different advice and would not recommend coming here at all.

Ring up first and ask for the waiting time or make an appointment with a GP.

Really let the NHS down. Need to work on communication with the patients from reception right through to the consultants and nurses. If I treated my patients like that the practice would not be open for long!