"Dismayed by my treatment as an older prson "

On Monday 31 July a dressmaking pin broke off and went in the base of my right foot. Tuesday I rang my GP was told there were no appts and that I should go to the Haywood. I did so on 1 August and after 3 hours and an xray was told they couldn't deal with it there and gave me an appt in the fracture clinic at Royal Stoke the next day. On Wednesday I sat for five hours waiting to see if the pin could be removed. Nothing doing that day. I rang on Thurs at 7.30 and was told someone would ring me back which they did at 2.30. Nothing doing that day either but I was told Friday would probably be the day and not to eat anything after 6am. I got a call from ward 266 at about 9.30 asking where I was as I should be in theatre. I said knew nothing about that but I raced down there from Hartshill. At fracture clinic, the dr I saw said that the pin had probably gone in deeper as I had been walking on it for two days. How was I supposed to go to the Haywood and the fracture clinic without walkin on it? My dismay arose in Ward 266 when I was asked questions like Do you have a carer? How do you manage? And then the final indignity I was given a memory test. Year? Month? John Brown. Count down 20 - 1; Months Dec to January. I have lived on my own for 72 years and have never not managed. I run my life, have two allotments, go swimming, have friends, go on holidays, have an active social life and managed to get myself to the Haywood and Royal Stoke without any assistance. Why do you assume that because I am over 70 that a) I am going senile and b) that I cannot run my own life? I couldn't wait to leave after my operation and felt totally demoralised and depressed by the attitude of the staff - who I am sure were only following protocol. There must be a better way of assessing patients, surely. It's not good enough. Additionally I asked several times why I couldn't have the pin removed by local anaesthetic and was repeatedly told that I would have to discuss this with the consultant. The first time I saw the consultant was when I was prepped and waiting for my gen anaesthetic, by which time it was far too late to discuss anything. A disappointing and frustrating experience