Rhyl man left Glan Clwyd after being ‘made to feel really small’

The man, who asked to be referred to as Mr Taylor, arrived at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd’s Emergency Department (ED) at about 12pm on February 12, having suffered from chest pains for several days.

Mr Taylor said that, after being triaged and undergoing two electrocardiograms, he was instructed to sit and wait in a corridor, which lasted for about six hours.

He said that his treatment at Glan Clwyd nearly reduced him to tears and “made me feel really small”.

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“I was triaged, but there was nowhere to sit in the ED, so a nurse gave me a wheelchair to sit in,” Mr Taylor said.

“But the person who did my initial assessment then moved me to a back corridor, which is where I then sat for the best part of six hours.

“After about six hours, I asked what was going on and when I was going to see a doctor, and was told it could be at least three hours more.

“One of the nurses literally begged a doctor to see me next – I suffer from stress and anxiety, which starts to build up if I feel like people are ignoring me and not listening.

“I felt like I was being totally not listened to.”

Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan (Image: Newsquest)

Mr Taylor added that there appeared to be “no organisation” at the ED, and that it was not until about 6pm on February 12 when he was seen by a doctor.

The doctor, he said, told him he wanted further blood tests taken, as well as a X-ray of Mr Taylor’s chest.

After his bloods were taken, he went back to where he was sat on a corridor to wait for his X-ray.

He added: “Just after 6.30pm, I saw the doctor again, who asked why I was sat there, and said they won’t find me to do my X-ray if I’m not in the waiting room.

“When I got to X-ray room, the lady said she had no paperwork for me. I was told to go back to waiting room to get the paperwork - I felt like she was telling me it was my problem, not hers.

“All I was asking for was a little bit of empathy and help.”

Mr Taylor then rang Glan Clwyd’s ED while still at the hospital to ask the relevant paperwork to be sent across to the X-ray department.

Shortly after doing so, he said, this paperwork arrived.

But, he said, he was then told by another member of staff that he should not be sat on the corridor where he had been told to be sat.

This “made me feel really small”, Mr Taylor said, and he then left Glan Clwyd feeling “very upset”.

Mr Taylor added: “There was no way I was going back in there after the way I’d been dealt with.

“I felt I’d been forced out, rather than leaving of my own accord, just by the way people treated me.

“I felt I was being boxed in; I just had to get out there.

“95 per cent of the staff that day were amazing. I know they’re all so busy, but I think there needs to be a little bit more empathy and understanding sometimes.

“To add insult to injury, nobody’s checked up on me since – I could have walked out of there and died, but I’ve not had contact with anyone at all.”

Mr Taylor said he then filled out an online e-form to make a formal complaint with BCUHB.

His chest pains have since improved, but he is still in the dark as to what the results of his blood tests showed.

In response, BCUHB’s executive medical director, Dr Nick Lyons, apologised to Mr Taylor for his patient experience.

Dr Lyons said: “I’m extremely sorry the experience of this patient was not up to the standard he would expect.

“We take the views of everyone who use our services seriously and we want to understand exactly what happened in this particular case.

“I’m aware there is a complaint process already underway and our team are in touch with this patient.

“In view of this, it would not be correct for me to comment further until that investigation has concluded.”