I'm based in the UK, and yesterday I went to the docs to speak to them about my joints (I have joint hypermobility syndrome) and my lovely doctor said that i needed to go into hospital for a couple of days, just to get some stronger medication, and keep an eye on a flare up I have coming. Which was a bit of a pain, but I know that if I don't go it can be a hell of a lot longer and a hell of a lot worse. So I agreed, she phoned my local hospital and made an appointment for me to go straight into a ward, be put on a drip, have my meds then be discharged. Needless to say this wasn't what happened. I went to the hospital, who had never heard of me, was put on a drip and sat in the waiting room in a&e, along with people with injuries, and illnesses, nothing to do with the department I was meant to be in. So I waited, and I waited, I was triaged (which was weird in itself as I already knew what was wrong, I just needed to be put on a ward for 2 nights) all in all I waited for 8 hours to get seen by anyone who had any idea what was going on. Then when I did get seen I was told that someone with a similar name to me had come in, and taken the bed that was waiting for me. I was gutted. So after asking my nurse to discharge me 3 times, she eventually let me go, took my drip out and I went home, feeling worse for sitting in hospital for 8 hours. Luckily I have most of the medication I need to control a flare at home, I still need to go in and get the medication I need, but I guess I'll just have to wait till a&e is quieter and do the whole thing again.
I know this is a bit of a depressing rant, but I needed to vent, the nhs in this country has gone backwards, honestly looking at the waiting room I was in was like looking at photos of 1800s cholera wards, I just wish something could be done about the healthcare system in the UK. I know I need to go to hospital soon, but it's definitely not something I'll do unless it's a real emergency.
Thanks for listening guys xx
