A PAINED woman with kidney stones has spoken of her traumatic experience at Basildon Hospital as they didn’t have the right equipment to help her.

Ria Keeley, 27, from Alcotes, Pitsea went to Basildon Hospital on December 6 in unbearable pain but couldn’t have the stones removed as they were in a dangerous place at the top of her kidneys and urethra.

The hospital said she would need extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsythe, which means the stones would be laser blasted by a machine, so they could safely operate but would need to send her to Darenth Valley Hospital in Dartford.

However, five days later she was still in Basildon and when she was finally seen a stent procedure had to be performed instead, which means the stones are now in a more central position for the operation Ria will undergo in two weeks.

Ria said the hospital had let her down. She said: “It is incredible to think that I was lying in my hospital bed from Thursday to Wednesday when I had been told I would be seen to. I was in such terrible pain throughout the days but I just kept being dosed up on morphine. I needed to be treated or at least be told what was going on.”

When a doctor finally saw Ria on Wednesday he said he was amazed to still see her at the hospital, and couldn’t believe she hadn’t gone to Darenth Valley over the weekend.

Ria, who has been signed off work for a week, said the poor communication was the first of a number of mistakes from the hospital. Hospital nurses also tried to administer Ria codeine, even though it said on her wrist band that she was allergic.

Ria said: “It has been a real struggle for me. I am lucky my dad has been there for me throughout the experience. It has been really difficult but I just hope it is over soon.”

Then also sent her home with the wrong prescription, for a different hospital patient, and she said she was lucky she knew her medical terms or she may have taken the medication.

A spokesperson for Basildon Hospital said: "Miss Keeley did raise concerns regarding her medication during her stay with us, which we have dealt with and apologised for. Unfortunately on this occasion we were unable to transfer her care due to bed availability."