Lincoln Hospital and it's weird 'procedures'.....

Monday night I had a very nasty asthma attack. My inhalers didnt seem to be working and my breathing was getting worse. My other half bundled me in the car and we whizzed down to hospital, he dropped me off at the entrance to A&E and went off to park.

I went to the reception desk, and by this time I could barely breathe let alone talk. I was asked if I was ok to talk and I shook my head, I was then asked if I was having an asthma attack and I nodded and the receptionist said "sorry nothing we can can do, if you cant talk, we cant book you in, therefore we cannot treat you"

I gestured outside, this was the only way I could think of to let them know that someone was with me and would be along shortly to give my details.

The receptionist then told me to move away from the desk and fetched a nurse. The nurse looked at me and said to the receptionsit "if she cant talk just leave her"

I then tried to make my way outside to find OH, but I started hyperventilating and collapsed. A porter got me in a wheelchair and by then, the other half had parked up and come into reception, where he was able to give my details as I still could not speak.


I wonder how far this would have gone before they were going to treat me? I have spoken to the complaints lady at the hospital but have heard nothing back as yet.

So if you were on your own they would've waited for you to become unconcious before treating you as an emergency.

Thats stupid. Do they do the same with someone who goes to hospital because their heart is hurting and can't speak for some reason. Do they wait for the heart attack?

Couldn't she have offered a pen and paper? Jobsworths.

This means that anyone who is dumb (the real meaning of the word) and can't read or write has no chance of getting medical assistance.

Worlds gone mad. Send your case to David Cameron. Always get more action from the opposition parties than the in-government system.

AC

Soda, I know you already know what I think but I want to say it here too!

I find this just appalling! It's obvious that many people arrive at A&E unconsious and so can't book themselves in. They wouldn't tell someone from (say) a horrendous car accident that they couldn't do anything unless they can give their full details, would they!?

Of course it's not a scenario anyone wants to contemplate but if your OH hadn't been there, or (for whatever reason) had taken longer to get you the help you needed, like you say - how long would they have left you?

I think it's pretty sad that the only person who appeared to be really helpful (the porter!) is likely at the lowest end of the pay scale!

just be sure you take it further as we discussed! good luck!

Thanks for the comments guys! I will update this thread as and when anything new happens, I have to say I was very scared, and I dread to think what would have happened if I had made it a little further outside - it was dark and I could have collapsed somewhere where no one could find me.

And yes coley, that was my thoughts too!!

i suffer from asthma too ,and the thought terriflies me that it could of been me that night, we are all behind you ,keep on at them as this is terrible.
they can't treat people like that , thought they were suppose to be caring people.

oh by the way i find smelling basil oil helps better then my inhalers.

im glad that hasnt happened to me or me or my son as we were up there last week as he was bad with asthma and we had to wait 20 mins to see triarge nurse then they took him in the back straight away as his sats were only 91 but he is better i would complain if they did that to me

update:

I have now gone to the press with this matter - local and national.

This might seem extreme, but combom made some good points to me the other day, and questioned how far this would have gone before they helped me.

This cannot happen again!

you have done the right thing!!!! just how far do they go? do you pass out and suffer brain damage from lack of oxygen? this is unbelievable!

Well done soda! Keep us updated.

yes well done sodabubble dont blame u

good for you ,keep going we are all behind you

update: I today had a phone call from Sister Lawson. She said she has spoken to the nurse in question and that nothing of the sort had happened.
Apparantly, as soon as I walked into A&E, the nurse saw me and ordered a porter to bring me to a treatment room , where I received treatment, and later gave my details.

I told her (in not so many words) that this was a load of rubbish. I asked if she had looked at the cctv footage - Sister Lawson told me that the cctv has no audio. I told her to view it and zoom in so she could lip read the receptionists and nurse - but Sister Lawson said the picture quality on the cctv is poor so theres no point in looking at it.


I have now requested a copy of the cctv footage. She also told me to put my complaint in writing, but she stated that the hospital treat people who are unable to communicate for whatever reason, and that I would have been treated right away and basically I'm a headcase that made up a story purely for the sake of it.



I'm furious - watch this space!!!

Soda!!! That's just adding insult to injury, isn't it?

I would be livid too. I fact I AM livid on your behalf! Appalling!

be sure you put it in writing - every time im not getting anywhere with laura, i put it #in writing and so far, i havent lost!!! i know its a pain in the a** and takes time, but it is worth it!

thanks combom and seahorse, am putting it all down now in a letter!!

And I'll send it via recorded post just incase I have one of my "making it up episodes" and forget to post it.

I'm really saddened by the fact they are dismissing me as an attention-seeker, what do I have to gain? Apart from ensuring this does not happen again to anyone else of course!

I will not settle until they have admitted what they did and apologised for it, it's very unfair to assume I imagined it

they often say to "put it in writing" as most wont bother! if you write it on ur pc and keep a copy, you know what you said and when

whats the point of a CCTV thats crap, either they are lying or if its needed they are in trouble!

disgusting , talk about backing one another up

that is rubbish y have cctvure if the picture is rubbish and u cant hear thats a load of rubbish dont blame u writing to them keep us updated please