"Poor Care"

I contacted NHS 111 recently due to an on going dental issue. The people I spoke with on the phone were fantastic and I was advised to go to Falkirk community hospital for a specific time.

I was/am in a severe amount of pain due to wisdom tooth infection, can barely open my mouth or swallow saliva, swelling in my face and swollen glands on the right side. This is affecting all the nerves in my face causing earache and pain behind my eye. Not to mention I’m also pregnant and having a lot of other difficulties.

I get to the hospital 10/15 mins early (never been before) and followed signs for main entrance to find only 2 entrances, both were not in use. I’m using the buzzers and frantically walking around trying to find the main entrance which was shown on signage the area I was walking around. By this time I am already late.

I come back out of the car park as no signs of life. I find there is another sign for a main entrance in a totally different direction and get back in the car. A quarter of a mile down the road and round the corner I find the main entrance and run (painfully) into the hospital and find the area.

I apologised for being late and in tears at this point and explained the poor signs which no one acknowledged. I’m handed forms to complete as this was Out of Hours - also advised pregnant and currently have dental care covered.

The dentist comes round quickly and, I felt, stubbornly showed me to their room and removed my forms from me before I barely got a chance to write my name. I believe that they were annoyed with me running late despite my apologies.

I get in the chair and explain my issue. The dentist barely looks in my mouth apart from pressing very painfully on the clearly infected area, advising it must be removed. I explained I was removed from the list and should have had my wisdom teeth removed in August but have to rebook once I’ve had my baby, which they state shouldn’t be the case as my pregnancy is irrelevant.

The dentist then advised they will not be giving me antibiotics as I’m pregnant. I explained I had antibiotics x3 in previous pregnancy given by dentist with no issues and for much less painful symptoms and they state again they will not be giving them and I should contact my own dentist, which I already explained I cannot for a couple of days due to going for a transfusion the following day and other apps I cannot miss. Again advised they're not doing anything and quickly said goodbye and practically shooed me out of the room.

I couldn’t have been in the chair for any more than 2 minutes and now have even more severe symptoms and writing this as I struggle in pain unable to sleep.

I appreciate the pressures on the NHS, however the level of care and attitude I received from staff seems to only be getting worse with every experience I have. It’s not the first time I am being made to jump through hoops for basic help and healthcare and now been left with severe swelling in both my mouth and neck, severe headache, fever, pain behind my eye and earache due to the pressure on the nerve in my face from infection.

I was sent on a wild goose chase around an unknown area to receive no help, basic healthcare or even the slightest bit of respect or understanding from anyone. I am sure my local dentist will prescribe the required treatment in a few days which I should have received today rather than have prolonged distress and pain unnecessarily.