"Efficiency should not come at the cost of adequate care"

I attended Raigmore to get a chest x-ray following a prolonged period of feeling unwell.

The staff were very efficient and saw me almost immediately (before the window for the clinic even began), I was grateful for this as hospitals make me anxious.

However, with that efficiency came a complacency that I didn't enjoy.

I get it, they are medical professionals who do this hundreds of times a day. They likely have lots to get on with. No big deal, quick click of a button and done.

But to me, who has been feeling unwell for weeks and mercifully  doesn't regularly have chest x-rays, it was a big deal. I wanted to know what was happening and to feel it has been done properly.

I was directed into a room and towards a chest x-ray plate that was slightly too high for me to rest my chin in the designated spot. I was told to stand straight but also relax and take a deep breath in. The x-ray wasn't adjusted for height so I couldn't reach the chin rest, I'm struggling  to take complete deep breath and straight away I felt I was getting in wrong. 

Before I could ask, it was over and I was being ushered out. I think I was actually  in the room less than a minute. I was left wondering if they got what was needed. 

I returned to my clothing and staff had a heated conversation about an issue with another department  outside the cubical where I got changed. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to just see myself out. I had to awkwardly stand behind them and wait for them to see me to leave.

In the grand scheme of things my care was fine, presumably they knew they had a decent image otherwise they would have done it again.

I do wish that medical professionals would remember that they don't know the trauma people have around hospitals or how a person might be feeling. It's routine-every-day-no-big-deal stuff to them, but to the patient it might be answers to a long term problem or just a stressful experience.

There wasn't any reason to rush me through ( it wasn't  busy) and a couple of minutes adjusting  the equipment to my height and explaining what was happening would have made a huge difference to me.

I have no idea what they are looking for on this x-ray. Perhaps that's a different issue with my GP not explaining. I was also told it would likely be weeks to hear, if I heard at all... No wonder we all have anxiety.

I am am neurodivergent and it is really important to me that things are explained clearly. I would think though that this is important for most people. 

Efficiency should not come at the cost of adequate care.