"Asthma ignored"

Recently I presented to Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital experiencing an atypical asthma attack. My airways were closing, I was having trouble breathing while being tight chested and feeling like I was choking.

After a long wait ( which I was happy to wait) I was taken through and seen by a Dr who I recall said the following;

'Your bloods, oxygen levels and chest sounds clear/ chest xray looks clear so it's probably a viral infection. You should see your GP to get a referral to see if it's really asthma. Cease ventalin use as well as you don't want to use too much.'

Feeling gobsmacked at these remarks and awful treatment I left feeling afraid that my symptoms could get worse. Two/ three days later I presented at another ED and recieved appropriate treatment- burst therapy, ventalin and a steroid injection. 

This ended the days long asthma attack which SCGH failed to do.

I gathered the courage to make a complaint recently and I'm appalled at the responses I got. I explained in the initial complaint email that I don't have the ' usual asthma symptoms' like wheezing, low oxygen etc however I still have asthma attacks with narrow airways, trouble breathing and feeling like I'm choking. I felt this was ignored by SCGH.

The first response letter I received from this complainant was dismissive, it did not acknowledge my atypical asthma symptoms and kept pointing out that my ' vitals look fine' when I tried to make the point in the initial email that even though these look fine I'm still having an atypical asthma attack with serious symptoms. It was also noted that the Dr did not note telling me to get a referral to see if ' it's actually asthma' and wrote down another reason for the referral. They also did not note their ventalin remark. Funny that...

I sent a response back after receiving the first response letter and the response I recieved was even worse! I was advised that the original dismissive feedback letter stands and that they will not do anything further. SCGH also only admitted 'the advice from the Dr and what you recount are different.'

In my opinion, I would remember ridiculous remarks like the Dr advised.

I was advised also that my condition was not 'life threatening.' a days long asthma attack with trouble breathing and tight chested etc is not serious!?

SCGH has taken no responsibility and offered no apology for how appalling and incorrectly I feel I was treated. Luckily I went to the other ED and recieved appropriate treatment. Imagine if I didn't? I believe this would have been more dangerous than what the situation already was. 

Even if it was ' viral' the same atypical asthma symptoms were present. SCGH failed to treat these symptoms. 

So based on my experience as an atypical asthma sufferer- if my symptoms ' aren't normal ' and I ' don't present ' normally ' I will be careful going to SCGH and go somewhere where I feel they will treat me appropriately.