I WANT to share an experience I had with a friend and her two-week-old son at Whiston Hospital Children’s A&E department on Sunday, July 27.

Unfortunately, The majority of the time we spent there left us feeling angry, frustrated and concerned about patient safety.

We arrived after 9pm to be told to go and book in at the main A&E reception.

The corridor between the children’s and adults’ A&E was chaotic with patients on trollies or in wheelchairs waiting to be handed over from the paramedics. This meant there were paramedics stood around, unable to go out and answer more emergency calls because they were waiting around to book patients in.

The children’s A&E waiting room was particularly busy, though it isn’t clear whether that was because of high patient numbers or a lack of staff. It was not reassuring to hear nurses on the phone asking if there was anyone available to help them out.

My friend’s baby went through triage and we were shown to the breastfeeding room. Once finished we were asked to leave and go back in the waiting area.

The waiting area was full, and with nowhere to sit, my friend sat on the floor with her poorly baby in her arms. I understand it is not the hospital’s responsibility if people don’t move their belongings so others can sit down, but why did staff not do anything?

Morally, I don’t agree with this, but I also believe that this is an infection control issue too.

We then overheard a doctor complaining that he had all these patients to see and “nowhere to see them” and there was a lack of rooms available which disrupted the flow of patients.

Lack of nursing staff meant there was never anybody to answer the doorbell for those coming in and people in the waiting rooms with sick children had let people into the department. How can it be a secure department with entry restrictions if you don’t have enough staff available to let people in and out?

We were seen by two doctors and after some conflicting information a nurse came in to say they had a bed waiting for him on the ward.

I am not complaining about the staff but that the department was so understaffed it had an impact on us.

I am concerned about the safety of any child that needs treatment at this A&E. While the nursing staff try their best, they can only work with what they have. They’re under so much pressure to hit targets it seems they can’t spend time caring about their patients properly and thoroughly.

I hope in turn others share their own experiences and eventually make the hospital’s management address this issue.

Miss K L Jones,

via email