To think this is rubbish customer service from this cafe

[MerryInthechelseahotel]

Dd 21 was coming home for the weekend from university and was a bit early for her train. She went into a chain cafe near the train station and bought a coffee and went to sit down on the chair.
Unknown to her there was a syringe and needle on the chair and the needle stabbed her leg.
She sent a text to me but when I didn't respond she text her friend who is a student doctor.
She took the syringe to two men serving drinks and told them what had happened.
They asked "are you ok?" And told her to leave the syringe with them in case someone comes back for it. That was it.

She left the cafe and phoned 111 as her friend had advised her and was advised to go to A&E and they took blood for comparison with bloods they will take from her in 6 months time and also started her on a Hepatitis B course of injections.

I suggested she write a complaint to the head office as the men who she talked to didn't know the seriousness of it, didn't take her name and address, hadn't checked the seat beforehand.
She wrote an email not blaming the men as such but saying what had happened and the reply she got was appalling.
They said the needle had a cap on it it didn't obviously otherwise she wouldn't have got jabbed. She has a photo of it too with their napkin underneath it.
They said they had checked the cctv and it had taken her 12 minutes from sitting down before going to the counter to report it (that's because she text to see what she should do)
They said the men said she had said she was fine but that's because she didn't feel unwell.
Would you feel angry if this happened to you or one of your children? What would you do or suggest for her to do?
Thing is she's not a confrontational type of person and if they had apologised she would have felt better but they didn't apologise at all.

That is shocking OP. They should have been much more proactive.

Ask for a copy of the paperwork they completed for the injury and report to health and safety. This is appalling!

Bloody customers!!! Why can't they clear up their own rubbish? Leaving it there like that for anyone to find

What would you like them to do?

Not sure that it's reasonable to expect counter staff to be trained in medical matters. Presumably there was a member of staff who'd had the basic first aid training, but I don't think that would extend to much besides basic "first aid" - in your case, there was no urgent attention needed at that moment in time.

Also, not sure if it's reasonable to expect them to constantly go around the premises looking for items like that. They can't be expected to go out and check every time someone stands up and leaves can they?

Maybe they could have done more, but not sure what really. They took the syringe and presumably put it somewhere out of harm's way and they asked if your DD was OK and presumably she looked OK and was perfectly able to obtain medical help/advice herself.

If they've looked on cctv it sounds like they've done the investigation or at least started it

That's a horrible thing to happen and the staff sound a bit dozy, but I'm not sure how much more they could have done

Not sure that it's reasonable to expect counter staff to be trained in medical matters.

^^
This.
It's not the sort of thing catering staff will get training in.

Of course, they can be expected to go around after a customer has left a table. They should be cleaning the table and having a quick look on the chairs for spilt food/drinks.

Was your dd advised by any of the people she contacted to go and rinse the wound asap? Or that it's not only Hep she is at risk of?

I wouldn’t expect two guys working in a coffee shop to know much about needle-stick injuries, neither would I expect them to check the chairs. At most they might have filled in an accident form - not really any help to your daughter. I know you must be worried but don’t really see what else you could legitimately have expected the servers to do. Accidents happen. Your adult daughter has dealt with it appropriately.

I think the staff should have notified the manager of the situation. I dare to think of the worst case situation from this! The response is appalling, I’d take it up further.
The needle may be an innocent mistake but I’ve known a few places in town that lock the bathroom doors because of drug abuse.

Your poor daughter. The place ought to be closed down. Go to the papers.

I wouldn’t expect two guys working in a coffee shop to know much about needle-stick injuries, neither would I expect them to check the chairs. At most they might have filled in an accident form - not really any help to your daughter. I know you must be worried but don’t really see what else you could legitimately have expected the servers to do. Accidents happen. Your adult daughter has dealt with it appropriately

^^this

Of course, they can be expected to go around after a customer has left a table. They should be cleaning the table and having a quick look on the chairs for spilt food/drinks.

Yes, this. Apart from anything else, their failure to spot this suggests a dirty place where used cups, uneaten food, crumbs etc are left to fester on tables and chairs.

Crispyturtle would you expect them to lie?

They lied to cover themselves because they know if this got out they could be shut down.

Who is doing what drugs on their premises and why don’t they know about it?

I don't think it's reasonable to expect them to necessarily check chairs between each customer; it depends entirely on the length of time between customers and what else the staff have to do. I can't see anyone here being thrilled with being told not to sit down at a vacant table in a busy cafe at lunchtime because the staff have to check for needles. I can't even see how it can be enforced, if someone just sits down what are they supposed to do?

I can see why you are angry and upset but really, the focus is on the idiot who left a needle there in the first place. If your daughter didn't know what to do with a needle stick injury I'm not really sure why the two servers ought to have known. The company should categorically not have said what they did about a cap on it, of course.

All that said, I'm so sorry this happened to your daughter and I wish her the very best for a clean bill of health once the results are all in.

Plus you tell us where it was op?

It could happen again as they are not bothered and lying about it.

The station at least.

It's awful for your daughter but I would have had no idea what to do in that situation. I'm not surprised that coffee shop staff wouldn't know but I guess they should at least have recorded it as an accident and reporter it to head office.

Yes, this. Apart from anything else, their failure to spot this suggests a dirty place where used cups, uneaten food, crumbs etc are left to fester on tables and chairs.

What if one person had been sat at a table for four, the other chairs had not been pulled out or disturbed in any way, and the previous occupant had simply left one coffee cup where they'd been sitting and the needle was on a chair on the other side of the table? You cannot seriously expect people to pull out all the chairs at every table every time someone leaves, even if they've created no mess whatsoever.

I do think they should have completed some form of incident form and taken her details.

I don’t think any first aid course I have ever done has really covered needle stick injuries. It’s one of those things that isn’t immediately life threatening (i.e. no limbs hanging off) but needs prompt medical attention.

The reply your DD received does seem defensive and unsympathetic, but sadly they’re likely trying to avoid her seeking action against them.

They are trying to intimidate her with their “12 minutes” rubbish. She would have been in shock.

I also think you should go to the papers to warn people as they’re doing nothing.

As a former duty manager I think YANBU. They might not have spotted the needle but considering the potential dangers, it sounds like they didn't offer enough assistance. Of course they aren't medical experts but I'd hope they would have helped her seek medical assistance. Seeking the right assistance is something that's covered in basic first aid training.

Your poor DD, what a fright. I hope all's well and she can put it behind her soon.

Isn’t that what an incident book is for, so those who do have the training can assess any incidents?

I would be appalled to be honest

I would have told her to immediately seek medical advice and made sure it was wrote in the accident form.

I would have also notified my manager.

Just saying oh are you ok isn’t enough

I would call the police non emergency line to report what happened just so they are aware of the potential of addicts injecting in that space.

Environmental health should have been called to safely deal with the syringe and make sure it was safely destroyed.

Also make sure the store have it registered in their accident book.

The used syringe might not necessarily have been for injecting street drugs- however, I can't see any situation where anyone who injects medication for health reasons, would just dump their uncapped syringe. My DH has a mini sharps box for safe disposal.
I hope your DD is okay, and it would be worth asking the cafe to discuss strategies about what to do in the case of needlestick injuries, going forward.