Distressed by treatment at A&E

The same thing happened to me last month with my 16 month old son. He too had fallen and split above his eye open.

It was 8.30 in the morning and due to the distress of myself and my son, I jumped in the car and drove straight to A&E, only to realise it didn’t open until 9.

I drove round the side entrance and thanks to an off duty nurse running to my aid I was able to get into the hospital. They phoned the out of hours doctors to be told they finished at 8am! They kindly brought me in to A&E and the nurse explained that I was not supposed to be on the premises before 9 but due to the circumstances they’d get my son cleaned up.

I was furious when I came away after. Where was the out of hours doctor? Who was supposed to treat the patients between 8 and 9? My son was drifting in and out of sleep on the way to A&E and there was no way I could have driven to the Royal in the rush hour traffic. I’m disgusted to see that yet again this has happened.

A distressed parent