"A visit to A&E"

My partner with stage 4 testicular cancer presented to A&E with an obvious spinal cord compression, on arrival to A&E by car, because the Ambulances were on strike that day. The front desk took his details and was made aware by myself this is most definitely a spinal cord  compression. So he was in a wheelchair for an hour before he was seen in triage. In triage again it was stated that he has a spinal cord  compression and it was ignored. His sats were 91% on room air and this was also pointed out to the nurse in triage by me and I advised he needed 02 and he needed  to be in a lying position to try and stop anymore damage to his spinal cord and mobility. The nurse stated that his sats were 94% when I wasn’t looking which I believe was untrue. So he was sent back to sit in wheelchair in waiting room for another couple of hours.

Then we went into get bloods taken, again I stated my concerns that he needed to be lying down and on 02 to what seem to be a student Doctor. Again I was ignored and he was sent out to wait again in waiting room in a wheelchair. So finally another doctor brought us in and it was pretty obvious they didn’t read his notes because again I had to start the conversation over again and explain why we had presented at A&E.  They then proceeded to get him to stand!!!!  His observations were done again while he was moved onto a bed from the wheelchair. He was asked if he had COPD due to his sats. He was told to drag himself up the bed to reposition himself and then take deep breaths!

At this stage I asked them to bleep oncology because this treatment was not good enough and this was very traumatic for my partner and myself, of course we were sent back to waiting room.  Finally Oncology arrived and the consultant from Oncology couldn’t believe what we had been through that day and wished they could’ve got there sooner. A&E was then advised that he was not to be mobilised and to stay on the bed until covid swab results came back and then transferred to ward.

In my experience a person with a spinal cord compression would be log rolled and have an urgent MRI to see where compression is and then proper treatment can be put in place.

My partner never walked again after this visit .