"Badly treated"

Traumatic experience and hearing staff members speak about you, is totally unacceptable. I have many years of experience in healthcare, I was always taught patient care is priority. Certainly not here it wasn't.

Since first contact in May 2023, I was supposed to have had sedation for this procedure, which I couldn't have, because I was in and out within 30 minutes. Spoke with my GP and asked if there was another way of doing this, which it was replied, yes, you can have ct colonography, and I was referred for this and I had this procedure in the New Victoria hospital. Bowel prep went well, CT went well with no complications, I received my results and said on it, there were no worrying features, however to the left hand side of my bowel, the radiologist had said, there was inadequate views, it wasn't clear and was to be booked in for flexible sigmoidoscopy, which I really didn't want to have, due to the experience during my first colonoscopy.  The reason for the first colonoscopy was because I'd had a positive bowel screen.

I received an apology for the first colonoscopy being so traumatising and was promised that the admin team would be spoken to and made sure I would be sedated.  When I came along for my flexible sigmoidoscopy, I was met by a lovely receptionist who assured me they'd look after me, I was then met by a lovely  staff nurse who was taking details and administered my cannula, and there was 2 lovely students. They all looked after me.

Now from arrival at the department, I was still waiting to be seen an hour and a half later. I understand it is a busy department, I was then approached by an auxiliary nurse who introduced themself, then this nurse appeared and said,  hold on, hold the bus, so the auxiliary left at that moment. This nurse didn't introduce themself, but asked me, why was I traumatised with your colonoscopy. I explained, the nurse who did it was extremely harsh and rough, and they replied, that it was them who had done it! They then told me that they had cancelled my colonoscopy due to a poor bowel prep, read through my notes and left, came back and told me that I could go and didn't need this done, after sitting there for over an hour. I asked so what is it that's showing on the ct colonography, they said they didn't know and went away again.

After they left the room I could hear them talking about me, dunno whether it was with a colleague or on the phone, but I felt like crying. They came back and said, okay we'll have a look. Off we went to the procedure room and supposingly gave me sedation, which I honestly didn't feel up or down, and all they could say during the 20 minute procedure was to comment on poor bowel prep which again is not true - I'd had nothing to eat since the night before at 6pm, and my bowel prep was enema (which my daughter administered, as she's a nurse) I asked so why has this procedure been arranged and where is the blood coming from? They replied, probably constipation, which is impossible, as I go to the toilet everyday on a regular basis.

I came out to get dressed and asked if I could leave and I was told yes, so again I was not sedated, as this was within 20 minutes of my procedure, as I sat waiting on my discharge letter with my daughter and partner, I was facing the procedure department and the same staff member was glaring at me. My daughter asked me if that was the nurse that had done my procedure, I replied yes, and she asked why they were giving me such a bad glare. I replied I don't know. I was told on my discharge letter, no follow-up but carry on with bowel screening. 

At the bottom of my discharge letter was the name of a consultant whom I have never met, and this was whom I was supposed to see, as I was told, I needed to see a doctor after my ct colonography. 

I apologise for such a long story but this was my experience with someone who in my opinion is a very rude member of healthcare staff.

Other than my experience I cannot fault the care I received from the rest of the staff in endoscopy and it is a lovely immaculate department.