"Care at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU)"

I have been admitted 7 times to the Surgical Assessment Unit at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The first time was by ambulance having been transferred from PRH Telford A&E. and then RSH A&E where I was on a trolley in total for over 16 1/2 hours with mobility problems. On arrival in the SAU unit it was discovered my drip had been turned off and had tissued. The drip was removed and no fluid replacement given to me.

I had been told in Shrewsbury's A&E department I had renal colic and that I was to have a kidney scan the next day. The next morning the ward round was done by the consultant and his team. I was informed "This lady only has gastroenteritis send her home".

The following day I was admitted to A&E in Telford due the fact I was in pain and constipated. I was given some laxatives and Buscopan and told to go home after I had an enema. Left about 4am Sunday morning.

One Wednesday in October, I went to see a GP who told me he thought I had appendicitis, go home pack a bag and wait for the call from the hospital. My husband and I went home to get the phone call which came with the news I was to be at SAU before 2pm nil by mouth as they would be sending me to theatre at 2.30 pm that day. On arrival at SAU there were no beds. I was in the relatives room lying on a two seater sofa clutching a hot water bottle waiting for a bed. No fluids or food were given to me. Later that night I was put on a trolley and ten minutes later I was taken to the Day Surgery Unit for escalation patients.

The following day I was told it was a gynae problem, I was seen on the gynae ward by a consultant who was going to arrange an appointment for later in October, prior to this appointment an ultrasound scan was to be performed. On the next Monday, I went to GP again as no scan had been arranged and I was still in agony. I was seen at SAU clinic by a lovely registrar who tried to obtain an ultrasound scan for me that day but the four slots had been taken for SAU and so the scan was arranged for the next day. I was prepared for the ultrasound scan and drank lots of liquid in readiness for it. After the scan I was taken to SAU where I was nil by mouth. Later that day I was transferred to Ward 29(s) where I was to have a CT scan the following day. I was still nil by mouth and did not have a drip in place either. This had left me 12 hours with no food or fluids.

I had the CT scan and had to wait until 6. 45pm to be given the results by a junior doctor whereupon I was discharged home to await my gynae appointment. On a few days later, no letter had arrived for gynae appointment so my husband telephoned the hospital to see what had happened. Appointments had no idea what we were talking about. It transpired the consultant hadn't even informed his secretary that he was to see me on that date, so she hastily made the appointment for me.

What would have made things far more pleasant for me was to have food or liquids when I needed them or been given a drip if necessary.

If the appointment had been made when I was informed it would be and posted to me as I was told it would have been.