"Treatment or lack thereof"

I arrived at Rockingham General Hospital mid-afternoon.

Reception

The waiting time in the reception of the ED was to be expected, so no real complaint there.

When I finally made it to a bed approximately an hour after arriving, I was attended to by the nurses initially. I knew what was wrong; I had taken a fall and cut my toes and legs. I was given oral antibiotics which were doing no good, I had developed cellulitis, and an intravenous antibiotic would be needed. I also made a request for painkillers that I could take home. Around an hour since being seen to, I was asked if I wouldn't mind giving up the bed, and to wait out in the hallway. I had no objection.

Staff attitude

I then waited out in the hallway for 4 hours, when I asked a passing nurse what was happening. My attending doctor came out and said - oh I guess I had better send you to X-Ray, just to make sure nothing is broken. Not blaming the X-Ray Department, but I sat in the hallway for 3/4 of an hour, got the X-Ray, came back, where I waited an hour, before yet again having to ask a nurse would they be able to find out what was happening. My attending doctor came out, didn't speak to me, but I heard them ask I be given the intravenous antibiotic. Another hour passed, still waiting for the antibiotic. Half an hour after that a person showed up with it. By this time it was well and truly past midnight. Once that was given I was told I could go, so I asked about some pain medication to take home, which I had asked for while in the bed. That was another half an hour wait.

Waiting time

I was in pain, and to be blunt starting to get angry, as I felt once I was asked to wait out in the hallway I was forgotten about. I understand I wasn't a high priority case, however, I felt like I was made to be out of sight, out of mind. Any updates I needed on how much longer I would be kept waiting were initiated by myself via a passing nurse.