"Privacy and infection control"

I was in emergency waiting room for close to 11hours due to a medical condition.

Issues noted: 

1: lack of privacy for patients. Nurses came into the waiting room to discuss patient conditions in front of everyone. I learnt someone was an ice user and last used 5 days ago, someone was there for a termination. Absolutely none of anyone’s business and I believe this could have been discussed in a cubicle.

2: the necessary wait times which I feel can be avoided. After 11hrs, having now seen the doctor and done an X-ray , I asked what I was waiting for. The nurse (now new shift) looked at my notes and said the doctor wanted a urine specimen and asked if I’d given one. 4hours after seeing the doctor and 2hrs after the X-ray, only after getting physically exhausted and after asking was I told I needed to provide a urine sample. I did that and was told the new shift of doctors would be coming in 30 mins and I would be prioritised as I’d been the longest waiting. Great! This didn’t happen for another hour and a half and when a doctor finally saw me, it was with letters and scripts in the waiting room, telling me I had a chest infection/again in front of everyone. It would have been nice to have had this conversation in private so I could freely ask questions but I felt that opportunity was taken away by the lack of privacy!

3: nurses were doing their routine vital obs in the waiting room. That was ok. But I noted the hand cuff was not sterilised between patients. This room had many unwell patients, coughing, vomiting etc… and one cuff was being used around without proper disinfecting in use. In a hospital, I believe infection control is paramount. I won’t be surprised that people left with more than they came with. 

Overall, in my opinion the whole department just needs a redress. I believe there are systematic failures in place. I feel one should not be in the emergency department for 12 hours regardless of the nature or tier of urgency of their care. 

Thank you