I visited the Empire last night on the 30th of July to celebrate a happy occasion with friends. I suffer from a medical condition called hypoglycaemia. What this means is my blood sugar level can be prone to dropping which causes me feel dizzy and faint. While in the back smoking area of the Empire at about 2.30am I began to feel unwell and got up to leave. I became very dizzy and so sat down on the three steps in the area. My friends helped me as they are aware of my condition. I was unable to speak or see clearly. Having suffered from this condition all my life, I was acutely aware that this meant I was about to fall unconscious. The only way to stop this happening is to lie flat on my back with my legs elevated and consume glucose, so my friends quickly helped me move up the steps and lie flat on the concrete outside the fire exit doors, as there was no room in the smoking area to do this. After a minute or so a barman named William found us and explained we needed to move as it was a fire exit. My friends quickly explained the situation to him. I was completely sober as I am nondrinker.
William was fantastic and came to our aid. He moved us inside the fire exit doors momentarily, to allow me to recover and asked me if I needed more sugar or chocolate. He then told another staff member he would stay with us. Around a minute later, as I was beginning to come back around to my senses, a female member of security arrived with another male security member and immediately began yelling and shouting at me and my friends to move back outside. My friends calmly explained that I was sober and suffering from a medical condition. She continued to shout at me and ignore them. William, who had stayed with us the whole time, also repeatedly explained the situation to her, however he was outshouted and overruled by the female security member.
At this stage my vision had somewhat returned and the dizziness had started to subside. However I was still unable to walk, so obliging her, my two friends picked me up and walked me back outside, where the female security member instructed them that I could sit on the steps into the smoking area to recover.
Most people will of course know that putting someone who is close to falling unconscious sitting down on steps is dangerous. Thankfully I had managed to lie down for enough minutes to recover before I was forced to move. I am amazed by the complete lack of any first aid training or knowledge and the complete inability to access the situation displayed by this security member. I wholeheartedly recommend all security staff dealing with the public should be first aid trained. Thankfully I am fine but it could have ended very differently for me due to the female security members actions. I attempted to get in contact with the management of the Empire to suggest reviewing their security personnels training but have not received a reply. read more