‘It’s just because my illness is invisible’
41-YEAR-OLD FELT ‘BULLIED’ BY NURSE
A WOMAN with severe mental health problems who went to hospital after an overdose claims she was “bullied” by an accident and emergency nurse who snapped at her about the cost of calling an ambulance.
The 41-year-old Hull woman, who does not wish to be identified, called the NHS 111 number at midnight on Sunday night after taking too many prescription tablets and slashing her thighs.
She was advised to dial 999 by the call operator and waited outside her home for two hours in cold temperatures for it to arrive.
On arriving at Hull Royal Infirmary at 2.30am, the mum alleges a staff nurse “bullied” her by talking to a colleague, within earshot, in which she questioned why she was there.
She claimed she then said to her ‘you do realise it costs £500 for an ambulance?’
The mum, who has been diagnosed with PTSD and a borderline personality disorder after losing a child, her father and her brother, said: “I had gone to A&E after quite a large overdose. “I was told by 111 to call 999 but I didn’t want to, but the operator said she didn’t want me walking there alone after what I’d done.
“The staff nurse at A&E said to her colleague ‘why is she here?’ and then made the comment to me about how much ambulances cost.
“I asked her why she didn’t ask any of the others there that night. It’s just because my illness is invisible that she treated me that way. I did get upset and swore, but
It made me feel like going and joining my baby. I am not an aggressor, but I was very hurt Hull woman
I went back and apologised as I shouldn’t have, in front of the other patients. And I was escorted out by security like a criminal.”
The emotional mum added: “It made me feel like going and joining my baby. I am not an aggressor, but I was very hurt. She wasn’t bullying anyone else, I think this needs to be highlighted to make others aware of mental illness.”
A spokeswoman for Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We would advise any patient unhappy with any aspect of their treatment to contact our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) by emailing hyp-tr. pals.mailbox@nhs.net or by calling 01482 623065.”