""It was a very intrusive examination where nothing was explained""

A few months ago I started getting stomach cramps that were very unpleasant and when I had a bowel movement; there was a very large amount of blood in the toilet.

I went to my GP, who thought that it may have been caused by my anti-inflammatory back medication as they were new. She sent me immediately to Mullingar Hospital.

I waited for three hours before being called into a room with one other bed. I had blood taken and a doctor gave me a rough examination, by which I mean it was a very intrusive examination where nothing was explained about what was going to happen or anything else. A nurse saw that I was embarrassed and upset and came in close to explain the procedure.

At that an elderly foreign woman was brought in with a neck brace and was placed in the bed beside me. She had no English and the doctors and nurses proceeded to talk about their personal lives and plans for the weekend while at the ladies bed. The lady was very upset but the curtain was pulled around her and she was left there. The doctor told me they would be back in a few minutes to explain what would be the next step in finding out what was wrong with me.

By 12.30 nobody had come back and I was left in pain and with a needle in my arm 'in case' I needed a drip. I still had no idea what was wrong with me, how long I was staying or when I would be seen again. I waited out on the corridor where three elderly men lay on trolleys and I had to ask a nurse to get somebody for me.

The nurse said that my doctor had gone home at 12.00 and I would have to wait until the morning to see a doctor again. Taking into consideration I was not admitted, diagnosed or properly seen at all, I was shocked. After 7 hours in the hospital I asked for someone to take the needle out of my arm as I wanted to go home. They ignored me and dealt with other patients.

The elderly woman that was in my room had been screaming the whole time I was there for help. I could hear her breaking wind and as she was bed bound I presumed she needed assistance to use the toilet. I pointed this out to the doctor and I was told to ignore her. After asking 5 different nurses and doctors to remove my needle as I was better off at home, I finally got somewhere when I told them I would take it out myself if they didn't. I left the hospital at 5.00 in the morning with no diagnosis, no care received and the elderly woman still screaming for help and being ignored.

A&E is so badly run in Mullingar Hospital, I have never witnessed anything like it. What's worse is there was no rush on anyone, it was a quiet night in the hospital and they had plenty of time to see patients as they had plenty of time to discuss their personal lives.