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West Berkshire Community Hospital 2023-02-12 Person 2 5 0

My visit started off well with the person booking me into minor injuries listening to my concerns. As I had pain in my back she went off to check if I could be seen by the service and they decided to do a quick assessment to see if I needed to go to A&E or not. When the nurse came to get me for my appointment my mum was on the phone, I asked if I could go and grab her and the nurse said 'you don't need her you're an adult it'll only take a minute'. I have autism and mental health problems and find hospitals very hard to cope with so found it hard being I'm the appointment on my own. In the appointment the nurse poked my back where I said it hurt and I confirmed that. This was the whole examination. It felt that she couldn't get rid of me quick enough and she didn't fare that I was in pain moving. She said I was preventing myself from moving properly on purpose when in reality I couldn't move because of the pain. The whole appointment was less than 3 minutes and I went away very upset and feeling very stupid but I couldn't communicate this because I was on my own and needed help from my mum to do so and she wasn't there.

Be aware that some adults need people to accompany them, the service was not busy and it would have only taken a minute to get my mum but I wasn't made to feel stupid for wanting her there. I wasn't asked what my symptoms were or how they were affecting me so felt that I wasn't being listened to. Whilst I agree I probably didn't have any major injury (that's why I went to minor injuries) I was made to feel as though I was wasting time and making it all up when I was in a lot of pain and discomfort.