Care Opinion

Text size

Theme

Language

Videos in BSL or ISL
Help with language translation
Help with reading or listening

lack of trolleys

Posted By plusqp74

"lack of trolleys"

About: Altnagelvin Area Hospital / Emergency department

(as a service user),

I attended A&E and the doctors I encounted were surly and incommunicative. My repeated literal begging to be given somewhere to lie down for a few moments were denied; the failure to supply a trolley to someone with a severe neck injury was, in my opinion, barbaric. Why the hospital doesn't have enough trolleys was never explained to me.

I witnessed the pitiful sight of a heavily-pregnant woman angle a wheelchair against a static chair to make an improvised bed. She tried in vain to get comfortable. To describe this as undignified is understatement in the extreme. I didnt see any member of staff trying to help or intervene, I consider it inhumane.

One of the nurses replied to my questions about the non-existence of beds in a style akin to the "computer-says-no" character from the BBC comedy series Little Britain. Anyone who has been on the receiving end of this knows just how rude and exasperating it is. Surely this hospital trust must provide some beds and space for them in future. 

After ten and a half hours sitting bolt upright in excruciating pain, I gave up and left the A&E department signing a waiver stating I was leaving against the doctors' advice. I found this a wholly unsatisfactory state of affairs in our hospitals. 

I honestly believe that the treatment I experienced and witnessed in this A&E department shameful.

Staff attitude

Staff attitude


More about:
Do you have a similar story to tell? Tell your story & make a difference ››

Responses

Response from Trudy Wallace, Sister Emergency Department Altnagelvin Hospital, Acute Services Altnagelvin, WHSCT 2 weeks ago
We have made a change
Trudy Wallace
Sister Emergency Department Altnagelvin Hospital, Acute Services Altnagelvin,
WHSCT

Submitted on 26/03/2026 at 19:08
Published on Care Opinion on 27/03/2026 at 09:16

Hi plusqp74,

My name is Trudy, I am one of the Senior Sisters in our emergency department, and I am so sorry to hear of your experience.

Unfortunately due to the fact that there are often no ward beds available immediately for patients being admitted to hospital, we regularly have patients waiting in our department for prolonged periods before they are moved from our department to an available ward bed. This means that we have admitted patients remaining in the emergency department for multiple days at times. While in our department they are receiving ongoing care, alongside those new patients who present to our department every day.

This leads to overcrowding, and many times there are simply no trollies left for patients to lie down on. This is less than ideal, and it is not the care we want for any of our patients. I apologise that you were not provided with somewhere to lie down in our department, and I apologise that our staff did not explain the reason for this to you. Our senior management team within the hospital are working hard to improve the flow of patients throughout the hospital. We are also awaiting commencement of some refurbishment works within our department to increase the area available for our patients to rest, as we are very aware of how uncomfortable it is for patients to sit for long periods on hard chairs, and we have recently purchased some recliner chairs to try and provide some relief for them.

You mention sitting "bolt upright for ten and a half hours in excruciating pain", again I want to apologise for this, I trust that you were offered pain relief during this time? Our staff know to monitor patient pain and to ensure those in pain are prescribed and given adequate pain relief.

I also apologise if any of our staff were not polite and professional in their manner towards you, I will reinforce to them the importance of being aware of how they come across when speaking to patients and relatives.

In conclusion I hope that you are feeling better now, and that this experience will not deter you from accessing our services, should you need to do so in the future.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by plusqp74 (a service user)

Dear Sister Wallace, Thank you for your lengthy and considerate response. I heartily welcome the future provision of additional space and reclining chairs for those patients with acute needs. The more expeditious the introduction of these the better.

In reference to your commitment to improving staff relations with patients, my late mother - coincidentally a sister who worked at hospitals in Birmingham and Northern Ireland in the 1950s and 60s - said she was taught the motto: "Empathy is a salve in itself." To my mind, this axiom should underpin all interactions between nurses and those in their care.

I entirely understand the pressures your staff are under and presume many of your nurses believe it is a thankless task. I would like to thank one of your nurses though, the young Asian man on duty that night, who genuinely appeared concerned for my wellbeing and was apologetic for the department's shortcomings. He set an example that others could follow.

Opinions
Next Response j
Previous Response k