"My experience in the emergency department"

I recently presented to the ED after days of worsening lower back pain. I have previously had spinal surgeries and had hurt my back again at the beach. I was losing feeling in my leg and bladder and knew this was becoming an issue that needed addressing asap. I had been to the GP and chiro who recommended ED.

In the ED I was in 9/10 pain and feeling nauseas. We had been told to wear masks however I had a sick bag and was sipping water so was not wearing it at all times. When the clinician called me in for assessment, I recall they asked me loudly, and I felt rudely, in front of the entire ED department am I meant to be wearing that mask? I replied to them saying I was unable to wear the mask and hold the bag in case I was sick. I recall they asked was I meant to wear it and I said I wasn’t sure, the staff member at the front told us to wear them but it seemed to me no one else in the ED was wearing them so I wasn’t sure if it was mandatory as I hadn’t been to an exposure site or had symptoms, if so I would be isolating if I was a risk. The clinician then said loudly in what I felt was a degrading tone that I should know better. I should know the pressure the health care system is under.

By this stage I was standing up walking to the consult room. I recall the clinician was behind me yelling at me about not wearing a mask and that it was selfish and that as a clinician, they had to wear a mask all day as did everyone else in the hospital. I asked politely, through tears at this stage,  could I please be assessed by someone else and I believe the clinician said blatantly no, and told me I need to calm down. I said again very calmly but through tears as I was now increasingly distressed that I don’t have to consent to them treating me if they’re going to continue speaking to me like this.

I sat down in the chair and I recall the clinician said that I can go back and wait for someone else. I said no, I’m here now and I believe the clinician watched me struggle to walk here. I recall the clinician said that I didn’t consent to them treating me, so go back and wait for someone else. I said that no, I don’t have to consent to them treating me if they’re going to treat me like this and speak to me the way I believe they did.

The clinician closed the door and asked why am I here? I handed them a letter from my GP/chiro and said that I am in 8-9/10 pain, I have bladder retention, I can’t walk there is something wrong with my back. The clinician read the letter, I recall they said nothing to me, did no observations, asked no questions and did no assessment or observations. Most alarmingly, they did not offer me any pain relief, even paracetamol, after I told them my pain level. The clinician then told me to go wait in the waiting room. I believe I could then see the clinician talking to other staff members about me and my parent believes they could overhear them speaking poorly about me whilst also staring directly at me through the windows.

I was so distressed by this my sibling, who works in healthcare, contacted the CARE team who immediately came to speak with me. I was so upset that I had to ask my parent to speak for me at times as they, and I believe others in the ED, witnessed much of this. I was quickly taken through after this for re assessment and given pain relief and taken through to be assessed.

Whilst I cannot fault the treatment I received after being admitted to the fast track and short stay area (please give my compliments to Diva the RN and also to Jackie the Irish nurse, I couldn’t have gotten through my admission without them and they’re both a credit to the profession), I do feel like my concerns weren’t fully addressed and upon seeking advice privately by a private neuro I am booked in for surgery. I understand the pressures of the health care system and what I feel it must be like being a clinician, but I also know what it’s like to be vulnerable, in pain, scared, concerned and seeking help.

Empathy, respect, kindness are qualities amongst many others that I believe clinicians are required to have and I felt at no point during my triaging was I shown any by the clinician. It was plain and simply the worst experience within a hospital environment that I have ever had and has quite frankly put me off seeking help in the ED.

In my opinion, this is not acceptable for a clinician and under the recommendation of others, I am making this complaint. Quite frankly I know nothing will probably come from it, I’ll likely never get an apology from that clinician or anything else but maybe in the future, they can act with the qualities I believe are expected and obligated of them under the patient charter of rights.