u/cosmic-hedgehog

I’m in Spain. If you could take the time to read this and give advice, it would mean the world. I feel helpless and don’t know who to turn to. This was a private hospital if it makes a difference.

To make a very long story as short as I can, I was in the hospital for a week last year in June for non-stop vomiting and seizures. I was admitted via ambulance and spent some hours in the ICU. I was transferred to a room once my condition was stable enough.

After 2 days, I started being in agonising (!) pain. Agonising.
Whenever I pressed the call button, it triggered an intercom where nurses would ask what I needed. I’d respond saying I was in severe pain (even in Spanish, saying “dolor”), but they’d just hang up and no one would come. My Spanish isn’t great so I would sometimes just scream “dolor” (pain) in desperation to get help.

This happened multiple times a night for about 3 nights straight. Each time, I had to press the button 3–4 times, wait ~10 minutes between attempts, explain I was in pain, and still no one showed up. Eventually someone would come, but only after several tries. I felt incredibly helpless. I remember wanting to call the emergency number for help, but couldn’t, because I was already in the hospital.

When I asked them about it, they told me the intercom was broken and they couldn’t hear me properly.

After I was discharged, I emailed the hospital to complain. They sent a formal apology and said they would investigate internally.

I left severely traumatised, I would wake up at night afterwards sweating, having flashbacks. It made me suicidal and messed with my mental health severely.

It’s been almost a year but I’m still not okay. How is it legal that I was literally BEGGING for help and not getting any? I could have fainted, had a heart attack etc, and no one would have come to help.

I don’t want to just accept it and move on. Do I have grounds to sue?