iv spent the day in a&e with my son who has broken his ankle. We were there for 4 hours and during our wait there was a commotion,a young girl badly bruised was arguing with the staff, the staff were clearly fed up, and as the young woman wondered outside in a hospital gown i heard a nurse say, “we need to get security” later when we were being seen i could see the girl again arguing with the nurse, saying “iv been her for hours, youv lots the xrays, i just want to go home” i was struck by how the nurse didnt even look at her as she said “well thats up to you”. I notice that the girls clothes were grubby and her hair was dirty, but what really struck me was that she looked so young and afraid. when we were in the waiting area again i could see this young lady struggling to pick something up off the floor, i went over and said “can i help” she looked at me in shock and said “yes please” i picked up her earrings and rings she had dropped and said “what have you done” she replied “they think i may have broken my back, but i feel fine” she told me she had got between two alcoholic friends who were fighting and hand got pushed down a flight of stairs. I said how awful, and how important your back is, she told me she had been there for 8 hours and just wanted to go home. i agreed it was an awful long time but the main thing surly was that the doctor should be sure she was okay. All the time i was talking to her staff were hovering round with folded arms. The girl looked at me and started crying “ I just want my mum” she looked at the nurse and said “ can you please just call my mum, please” The nurse took her away and we were called in to have a cast put on. A nurse said “goodness i wish you had been here earlier, shes been nothing but trouble” I replied, “all i did was talk to her, maybe you should have tried that”when we came out again the young lady was sat with what looked like her mum and sister, as we left she gave me a wave and I said “i hope all goes well for you.” Why do people slap whopping great labels on others which just hide so much. Yes this you girl might have been dirty and unkempt, she mite have been a drug addict or alcoholic, who knows what information the staff had on this young girl, but nothing changed the fact that this was a scared young girl who had just experienced a terrible trauma, she needed kindness and understanding, goodness its not rocket science! when did we forget how to care, how to have respect for people whatever their background? I hope shes ok, bless her heart.