Patient stories supporting 2023 campaign for Urgent treatment Centre opening hours

July 2023
Outside WCH

Stories Jan -March 2023

  1. I went to WCH with an irregular heartbeat, as I wanted my emergency drug to be taken under medical supervision. But as I arrived at 10.30pm I was told that I would need to go to Treliske or call 999, which I did. This is not what I wanted to do.
  2. A man was having a serious mental health episode and saying he had taken an overdose. This was witnessed by a member of the public. But the hospital was closed and he was faced with waiting outside alone on the pavement until it opened the following morning.
  3. A comment from a St Just resident, who is in her 40s and a teacher: I don’t feel safe anymore. I don’t think there is anywhere to turn to overnight if I need medical help. Driving myself to Treliske isn’t an option; besides we are told not to go there unless it is life-threatening. Phoning 111 won’t help when someone needs to see me. I feel isolated and alone.
  4. A young child brought by her mother from St Ives to WCH with a burn on her arm but the hospital was closed. She was told to make her way to Treliske by taxi.
  5. A plea from another Penzance resident emailed to WCHW.I’m writing about the overnight closure of WCH. They know me well up there because I have mental health issues. I’ve had good and bad experiences up there because I was a frequent flier admitting myself having had panic attacks. The hospital is considered a safe place for me, and now because it is shutting at night I’ve had to change my whole routine and I’ve become quite obsessive about it as I’m very worried about something bad happening at night time. I go to sleep before I know the nurses leave the building.
  6. Two separate cases reported to us of people arriving at the hospital having severe asthma attacks, and being turned away from the door. That was frightening for both of them.
  7. A comment from another West Penwith resident:I’ve lived here for over 40 years and have always known that WCH was there for me in an emergency. I can’t trust the ambulance service to get out to me quickly anymore, and I’ve always believed I could get myself to Penzance if I needed medical help quickly. Now I feel vulnerable at night – the ambulance won’t come if I’m still breathing, and there’s no-one else ‘on call’ to respond. I think all of us in Penwith are in a very vulnerable position now.
  8. A father took his child to the hospital before it opened its doors in the morning, because he was having an asthma attack. He was told he couldn’t be treated there, and had to take the child to Treliske. The father was unhappy about this and asked what would happen if he died on the way.
  9. A vulnerable female refugee had been in pain throughout the day, and painkillers had made no difference. By early evening she was crying with the pain, and her project manager had said she would try and get a GP appointment the following day, but clearly this would give her another 12+ hours of severe pain. There was no way she could get to Treliske A&E, and she was reluctant to call an ambulance. It was suggested by a member of the team that she get to WCH by 8pm and after complications with child care, they did manage to get her to WCH before it closed. She was assessed as having a severe bladder infection, and was given antibiotics. By the following morning things were starting to improve. The Project Manager was just relieved she got there in time. Had it been half an hour later she wouldn’t have received that care. There should be overnight treatment locally for residents whose condition deteriorates, to spare them a long night of pain and misery.

 

Stories we have been told during June/July 2023

  1. A mother with a child with Croup went to WCH at night and found it closed. With two other young children there was no way she could get to Treliske. She risked waiting until morning and saw her GP.
  2. A woman had a large dental extraction and during the night experienced severe pain due to an infection. She went to WCH and found it closed.
  3. A lady had an accident in her garden on 19th June and was taken to to WCH by ambulance and care there was exceptional. But I had to be transferred to Treliske at 8pm as WCH shuts then. This caused me immense stress and unfortunately my treatment at Treliske was very different. The staff there are under so much pressure and were making mistakes. Luckily I was coherent enough to challenge them. I know its not their fault but it was horrendous and very, very frightening. I was left in the plaster room for 3 hours as I had been forgotten and a nurse tried to give me a drip which was not prescribed for me. I have to go back to Treliske next week for pins in my ankle and I am terrified. We really must fight for WCH.
  4. Male who lives at Alverton – following fall/accident on 3rd June. I am so pleased that you are campaigning for the restoration of night time urgent care at WCH, my own recent experience made me very aware of the danger I was in a week ago last Saturday.At about 11.30pm on Saturday June 3rd I was placing a winter blanket on top of the wardrobe. I opened up the flap and then realised that it was too dangerous to do this. My feet were on the floor and I closed the flap, overbalanced, hit the bed and went right across the bed and landed with a hard thump to the head. I thought this would result in concussion, crawled to the radiator hoping this would enable me to lever myself up, but could not get up. I pressed the red button which alerted lifeline and my neighbours and daughter came in. I was bleeding a lot to a head wound. Lifeline wanted me to get myself up to Treliske and warned me if I had bleeding on the brain I would die quickly. There was no ambulance available and I was not prepared to let my neighbour drive me to Treliske at that time of night and if the worst happenend I would not have been able to get to Truro on time and my neighbour could not be expected to drive her car at blue light speed and somebody told me afterwards that Treliske would be chaotic on a Saturday night. They wanted my neighbours to stay with me all night in case there were symptoms but I told them to go home after an hour and I would contact if I had any of the symptoms indicating my head was in danger. They agreed to take me up to WCH 8am Sunday morning. I had the tests ECG, head and neck and I was OK. Afterwards I reflected on what could have been. What civilised country would have placed persons at such risk? I hope your efforts will succeed and I hope success will not come as a result of a fatal accident.
  5. Penzance resident. I have personal experience of unfortunately needing urgent hospital attention on the 28th Feb last following a 111 call with a severe chest infection and was seen at WCH at around 8.30pm and given unquestionable attention. Initially it was felt I would need to be sent to Treliske (where I subsequently learnt 33 ambulances outside) but the brilliance of those attending me saved me from that frightening experience and they were able to put me on the road to recovery, this is a fantastic local hospital serving a very large community which deserves to have 24 hour emergency access and not to have to travel 25-35 miles up the A30 and putting unwarranted additional pressure on both Treliske and the ambulance service, in addition to this it has been necessary for me to visit Treliske twice in the last 7 days for an EEG scan and a CT scan, both of which I’m sure could be offered at West Cornwall if it was upgraded to a full working hospital as it was in the past and should be now.
  6. Oct 2022. 12 year old son had a broken wrist. Phoned WCH at 8pm and told there wasn’t any provison available for him. They were up to capacity and that we would need to travel to Truro hospital for treatment. Waiting time there was over 5 hours, and we would not have got home until 5am which was not possible with a 12 year old. So strapped up the wrist as best we could, and he was in a lot of pain.
  7. June 2023. Daughter had a cut finger. Went to WCH which was shut, told to go to CRCH and was sent away as they were at capacity. Sent to Treliske but instead went home and dressed the wound as best we could.
  8. Last summer at 10pm. Found an old lady injured on the road and no ambulance available. Went to WCH which was closed. Took the old lady to Penzance police station and they managed to get an ambulance.
  9. About a year ago, arrived at WCH just after 8pm with a 3 year old with a broken arm. Staff would not treat the child and directed to go to Treliske. Child was in great pain and screamed all the way. Once there we received good treatment. Family do not blame the staff.
  10. 2022. Pendeen resident. Breathing issues for child. Went to WCH and told to go to CRCH as child could not be seen. Steroids were prescribed and told if condition worsened to go to Treliske – from Pendeen!
  11. 3 months ago. Breathing problems. WCH was closed when we arrived at 5pm. Returned at 9am the following morning as suggested – fortunately the breathing problems were given the necessary treatment, but this may not always be the case.
  12. 2 months ago. Penzance resident.  Felt may have had a heart attack. Went to WCH and it was closed, so went home and took ibuprofen. Went to GP next day. It was not a heart attack, but the incident was very stressful.
  13. Feb 2022. Had a seizure, went to WCH in the evening and it was closed. Had to call an ambulance and was blue lighted to Treliske.
  14. April/May 2022, St Just. Cancer patient suffering with side effects of treatment. He was sent by 111 to WCH. Found out it was closed at 9.30pm, so wife had to drive him to Treliske.
  15. March 2022 Crows an Wra. Man got concussion playing rugby. He was checked by the First Aider and sent to WCH at 8.15. the hospital was shut, so his father had to drive him to Treliske. He was finally seen and got home at 5am.
  16. June 2023. Lady with bleeding knee injury went to UTC at 9pm, found it closed. She was told to go to Treliske. Her husband drove her, waited hours to be seen and finally got home at 4am. The wound was cleaned, only treatment given. Eventually she had to have an operation on her knee, and dead tissue was removed.
  17. Mid June 2023. 15 year old from Hayle had a suspected broken arm. Checked on line and WCH UTC was open. Arrived at 9.30pm to find the unit was closed. Did not want to go to Treliske so waited until morning and went to CRCH.
  18. June 2023. Lady after an assault had a suspected fractured cheek bone, which needed an Xray. Arrived at WCH UTC and found it closed and was told to get herself up to Treliske if she wanted treatment. She had to drive herself.
  19. On going. 6 year old from Penzance with frequent chest infections, which need treatment every couple of months. In the past used the UTC at night, but now have to get to Treliske, so call an ambulance, and get stuck at Treliske until a family member can come and pick up child and mother.
  20. June 2023. Child was injured in the park, went to WCH just after 5pm. The doctor said he finished at 5pm, so they had to go Treliske with family and waited about 3 hours.
  21. July 2023. A lady had an asthma attack and went to WCH finding it closed at 9.01. she took a chance and left things until the next day.

 

 

 

Good stories

  1. Mid June 2023, Sunday evening 6pm. Injured wrist for which I had great treatment at WCH which was much appreciated. Broken wrist was strapped and follow up booked.
  2. Mid June 2023. Minor injury treated at WCH. Long wait 3-4 hours, but treated with very good service, patched up and sent home. Staff were very patient and kind.
  3. 11 May 2023 at 6pm. Fell in street and went to WCH to check if wrist broken. Excellent treatment, triaged, assessed, plaster applied. Appt given for fracture clinic at Treliske

Patient stories supporting 2023 campaign to reopen WCH Urgent Treatment Centre 24/7