A NEWPORT woman has alleged that staff at the Grange University Hospital made a series of verbal threats towards herself and her daughter - which included an accusation that she was lying about having a stroke.
Tammy Sheehan, 39, from Duffryn, visited the hospital in Cwmbran with her 14-year-old daughter after falling badly outside her home on January 31.
However, she described her time there as “horrible” and claimed nurses hurled abuse at her after she thought she was having a stroke - as well as trying to “drag her out” of the wheelchair she was in.
Ms Sheehan told the Argus the experience has had a lasting impact on her daughter, and that her mental health is still suffering.
The health board has told the Argus that it has investigated and understands that the matter has been resolved.
“I’d had a bad fall outside my home,” said Ms Sheehan (above).
“We went to the [Royal] Gwent, but they said we needed to go up to the Grange as that’s where they deal with emergencies now.
“My 14-year-old daughter also came along, because my husband was at home looking after our other kids.
Once at the Grange, Ms Sheehan said she started to feel unwell.
“I said to a few ladies sat nearby me that I had a weird sensation in my left eye.
“Both they and I thought I might be having a stroke, so they told my daughter to run and grab a nurse to come and help.
“Two nurses came and started accusing me of making up that I was having a stroke. They were making various threats towards me, saying they would call social services and that I was a bad mother.
“My daughter was distressed and shouting - they then tried to drag me out of the wheelchair and were aggressive in the way they handled me.”
Ms Sheehan said her daughter later told her that nurses had spoken to her separately about her mother.
“It was only after that, I heard what they’d been asking my daughter,” added Ms Sheehan.
“They had asked her if I was on drugs, or if there were any problems with abuse at home.”
And it is something that the family is still struggling to come to terms with.
“That’s one of the memories I keep playing over in my head, them telling me I was a bad mother,” said Ms Sheehan.
“I texted all my children after that, and apologised if I’d ever been difficult to deal with in any way.”
Ms Sheehan has since complained about her treatment to Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, but said she is unsatisfied with the response.
A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “We are sorry that Ms Sheehan was not happy with the care that she received.
"Having spoken with Ms Sheehan and investigated her concerns, we understand that this matter has now been resolved.”
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