"Very good but bittersweet ending in A&E"

After contacting 111 and then speaking with the ambulance service I was advised to attend A&E due to a raised heart rate which wasn't resolving and had been feeling very cold and tired. It was the weekend so I did anticipate this would involve lots of waiting. Was seen by a nurse within the first hour to have some tests. Over the next five hours a nurse did another check in. This was all in the evening. Staff were very clear that if symptoms got worse to then let them know.

Within seven hours I was on a trolley and met my first doctor not long after. I found each nurse and the doctor were very attentive to care and letting me know what was going on. Treatment was started with some iv fluids as appeared to be dehydrated and they were trying to find a source of infection and that I might need antibiotics. I was sent for a chest x-ray where the radiographer didn't seem in a friendly mood but they followed due processes.

As this was now overnight the nurses offered tea/coffee with biscuits which helped with some morale and needed sustenance. My heart rate only started to fall but was still raised in the middle of the night and more than twelve hours when symptoms had first started.

By the following morning I hadn't managed any sleep on the trolley and didn't think to ask for a pillow. I met some new staff including a new doctor and had been initially advised they wanted to admit me but it would take a while to get a bed and that they'd like a stool sample if possible and just to let them know. A friend had stayed with me and then went home as didn't know how long things would take. 

Another doctor took more bloods in the morning. Within a few hours things then happened very quickly. The doctor said results were much better so can discharge right now. This was a rather swift turn from the earlier plans of waiting for a bed on the ward. I asked then about the stool sample and was told to see my GP about diarrhoea.

This was a Saturday morning and I had been awake for over 26 hours so wasn't really quite on the ball. I couldn't quite articulate back that I'd been asked to provide a stool sample by a different doctor earlier on so just enquired again to receive the same stern response. To me it was apparent that they'd prefer I was out of a trolley, and out of their hair.

There was no guidance on how to avoid this in future or to perhaps rest and recover afterwards. I was by myself and not asked if I was able to make my way home. I asked if I needed to do anything and the doctor said no and that the nurse would see me. My cannula was removed and I was told to change out of the gown. So within 10-15 minutes of the discharge news the nurse stood me at the exit doorway with instructions of where to go, said so quickly with no clear directions, and had started to walk away (again it just seemed they wanted me discharged and out of the way) - but I rightly felt disorientated and couldn't take this in, so had to ask again on where to go.

These last two health professionals I encountered were a very disappointing end to a health scare episode. It felt very depersonalising and uncaring. Taking that human approach is always appreciated and often doesn't take that much effort otherwise why be a health professional?