Yasmin’ Experience: “I felt desperate, I got out of bed, walked out of the ward, and left the hospital in my pyjamas."

Yasmin suffers from fibromyalgia, anxiety and depression and was admitted to Queen Elizabeth hospital due to severe bleeding. ‘The toilet was covered in blood, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t stand I was feeling extremely week.’ She arrived at hospital by ambulance.

While in the Emergency Department, the doctor told her to stay on the bed and call the nurses for help to use the toilet. Needing to use the bathroom, trying to get the attention of staff proved futile. ‘I was on the bed, weak, not able to move, the buzzer was on the other side of the room, I couldn’t reach it. Yasmin used her mobile phone to call Queen Elizabeth hospital to ask them to help her in the Emergency Department. ‘I had to telephone them to come and help me.’

Yasmin was admitted to Ward 17 and given a blood transfusion. No one explained to Yasmin why she needed a blood transfusion and Yasmin said there seemed to be confusion about her medications. By this time, dinner was being served on the ward and she was hungry, but no meal arrived for Yasmin. ‘I was starving. Everyone around me was having dinner. I asked for a plate, but they forgot about me and left me hungry.’

Days later, feeling anxious and worried her mental health was declining, Yasmin repeatedly asked to see a mental health professional but was told that only doctors could make such requests.

Yasmine said lack of mental health support worsened her condition. ‘I knew I wasn't well; I was pleading to talk to a mental health professional, but nobody seemed to care’. On the verge of a mental health breakdown, she told ward staff how desperate she was feeling, but no one listened.

In crisis, Yasmin left the hospital without being discharged. ‘I felt desperate, I got out of bed, walked out of the ward, and left the hospital in my pyjamas. I thought someone will stop me, someone will ask me where I’m going, someone will ask me if I’m OK – but no one did. No one stopped me. I left the hospital through the main doors in my pyjamas.’

Recovering but still feeling distressed at home, Yasmin contacted PALS to complain but they didn’t want to speak to her. ‘The lady on the phone asked me to send an email, I explained that I was still feeling low and wanted to tell her what had happened to me in hospital, but she refused. She said they don’t do long conversations and the procedure is to send an email. What kind of support is that? Then she blamed me for not wanting to cooperate because I said I was too upset to write it all in an email and that I just wanted to talk to them. She even said since I left the hospital without being discharged, I didn’t have the right to complain.’