Care Opinion

Poor experience in minor injuries

Posted By normapw01

"Poor experience in minor injuries"

About: South Tyrone Hospital / Minor Injuries Unit

(as a relative),

After presenting to minor injuries with one of my elderly relatives we were greeted by a not so friendly member of staff at the desk, who made us feel like we were wasting her time and preventing her from getting home early.

Then a nurse approached us who was extremely uncompassionate and again made us feel like we were wasting their time. They never greeted us, introduced themself or shown any signs of sympathy.

The only positive from this experience was the staff nurse and health care assistant who took time to talk to us and relive our anxiety as multiple of the other nurses rushed home before 9pm. As a nurse myself I was amazed how professionals can be so ignorant towards others, and how easy it was for them to disregard their patients.

I am glad I was there and witnessed this and I really do empathise with others who have had similar experience and can’t advocate for themselves.

Hopefully these staff members can recognise their ignorance, reflect on the experience and prevent it from happening in the future.

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Responses

Response from Tracey Burton, Manager, Minor Injuries Unit, South Tyrone Hospital, Medicine and Unscheduled Care Directorate, Southern Health and Social Care Trust 3 months ago
Tracey Burton
Manager, Minor Injuries Unit, South Tyrone Hospital, Medicine and Unscheduled Care Directorate,
Southern Health and Social Care Trust

I currently work in a combined role as an Emergency Nurse Practitioner and Ward Manager of the Minor Injury Unit, STH. Our team is made up of 7 Emergency Nurse Practitioners, 2 Band 5 Registered Nurses and 3 Band 3 Health Care Assistants. The unit is open 7 days a week excluding Christmas Day. We provide 90 appointment slots Monday to Friday from 9am to 8.20 pm and on weekends and bank holidays we provide 64 slots from 10am to 5.20 pm (closing at 6pm).

Submitted on 12/12/2024 at 09:21
Published on Care Opinion at 10:15

picture of Tracey Burton

Hi normapw01, firstly sincere apologies for the delayed response to your care opinion post. I have just taken up the role of responding to our service users who attend MIU, STH.

I am unhappy to hear that your experienced a poor response initially when you attended from the receptionist in MIU. This issue has been forwarded onto the line manager for the reception staff who work in MIU and hopefully you will have a response soon.

The nursing staff within the unit are expected to treat patients with compassion and empathy, which seems was the complete opposite experience that you and your elderly relative received. I sincerely apologize for this and if you would like to speak to me personally about this, my contact number at the unit is 02837565434. Patients who attend the unit cannot always be treated here as is is a nurse led minor injury unit. However, this should never affect the approach to patients. Nursing staff should always assist were possible and within their scope of practice and sign post patients to the appropriate service areas.

I am happy to hear that some members of the team assisted you and signposted you to where your elderly relative could be treated.

I will certainly raise this experience with the team.

Thank you for advocating for your relative and providing feedback to the trust regarding your experience.

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