"Asked to vacate the emergency department."

My story has been phoned through to the service without any reply or phone contact.

One evening I was sent by ambulance for severe shoulder pain from another location. I did not take my mobile as the ambulance team said, you will be kept in overnight in a bed and your spouse can pick you up the following morning.

I was given pain relief in the ambulance and arrived at the hospital ER at just past midnight for assessment. I didn't see a doctor till 3am and was attended to by a rotating ER nurse. After seeing a doctor I was left alone for 30 minutes, then a nurse came to me and said there are two more ambulance arrivals coming and you have to leave the department. I asked for a bed as I had no way of contacting my spouse as my mobile was at home and I could not recall my spouses contact number given all the opiates is was given. I asked for a bed and was told, this was out of the question - you have to go now.  My complaint is I felt like I was chucked out of the department at 3.45am without any assistance, dosed up on heavy opiates and unable to fend for myself at all. The suggestion was to catch a cab home which I did and cost me $125.00.

I believe the following care responsibilities have been breached:

1.  Slow attention by a qualified ER doctor.

2.  Not making a bed available due to my drugged outcome.

3.  No assistance or discussion of any further hospital care due to my              drugged treatment.

4. Dismissed from ED without any discussion or bed to sleep it off.

5.  No, if any assistance to assist me home under drugged state.

6.  Very little discussion about how the staff could assist me during this confused situation.

7.  Leaving me alone in such a difficult situation especially at 4am in the morning.

8.  High cost of a cab home $125.00 and no discussion if I could afford this cost at all.

In summary, I understand the hospital industry very well working in the health industry for many years. I have never in my professional career seen such neglect and lack of understanding of a patient in need.

I do expect a hospital review which reflects how such treatment can occur and the review to meet professional standards.