My daughter was in an accident this evening, June 7th 2017. She was assessed at the scene and released, with me having to sign that she was not being brought to the hospital but that should she present with a headache, pains etc to take her to emergency immediately. We did that. When we got there, the hospital was quite quiet so one can only assume that they were not as busy as some nights.

We arrived at emerg at 10:00pm, at midnight my daughter was experiencing more pain and the headache was becoming more severe. I proceeded to go to the nurses station to see how long it would be before she was seen. I stood there for at least 5 minutes before the two nurses and a doctor even noticed I was standing there. When I asked the question, they looked at me, said that all the charts on the wall were before her and said that there were people that have been waiting for 3 hours before we arrived.

Now I explained to them what was happening, to which they responded with a non caring or compassionate response, and again told me that others have been waiting for 3 hours. My response was that an accident victim, with more pressing injuries is not deemed a priority? They looked at me like I had ten heads.

When I returned to my daughter and told her about the situation and wait time, we agreed to leave to go to a more efficient hospital that would take her injuries more seriously and we left.

This would not have been so dramatic had it not been for the 3 other waiting patients left emerg without being seen as well because of the same reason of the wait, two of which were young children under the age of two presenting with illnesses.

People that were waiting in rooms to be seen, were also making comments about the wait, especially when they look out of the assessment room to the nurses station and see that they are engrossed in conversation that has nothing to do with a patient, but that of personal content.

I am appalled that this is allowed to continue, and have seen this many times in the past, which is why I do my best to avoid going to RVH unless it is of an urgent and time sensitive matter. Tonight again proves to me that the staff working in the “Orange” treatment area are not there to do the job they are qualified to do, but for a paycheck and socialization with fellow employees and doctors.  Why they considered my daughter as non urgent is beyond me under the conditions and what she was presenting with.

RVH has a bad name for being incompetent and uncaring with patients, being seen talking about their personal lives at the nurses station rather then doing the job they are paid to do. It is completely disgusting that this is happening, and should we find out her injuries are as severe as we think they are, I will be hiring a lawyer for malpractice and ensure the nurses are reported to the CNO for non compliance of their Code of Ethics.

RVH needs to get rid of these nurses and staff members that refuse to do the job they have been trained and hired to do. Cases of this nature can go from non life threatening to life threatening in a blink of an eye.

From the time we left triage, we did not see another medical professional attempt to check on my daughter. RVH is a disgrace to the medical field and needs to change. Five hours plus before you are seen when head, back and knee injuries are reported and presented is completely unacceptable. A concussion is a serious injury, but this hospital like their demeanour and attitude towards their patients show absolutely no mannerisms for patients, but instead their efforts are poured into co workers and each other.

If you hear someone make a joke about only go to RVH if you want to die, know its true…by the time you are seen and assessed properly, blood tests and other tests that will indeed follow, know that you will most likely be dead.