"Poor care"

Having had an operation at GWH Swindon on Monday last, I was struck by the way in which the clinical staff from the consultant down seems to put patients and their individual needs at the top of their list of priorities. It was a first class experience. I was advised that following the operation I must avoid becoming constipated. I was

given a letter by GWH instructing me to contact my G.P. if there were any issues to be addressed. On Wednesday morning I had not had a bowel movement for more than two days and thus visited the Westrop surgery to see if I could talk to a clinician, to advise if I should consider myself constipated and if so what medication to take. The receptionist asked me to try and get that advice elsewhere and if I could not she would arrange a telephone conversation with someone that afternoon. In the event I was unable to get the advice and thus telephoned the surgery shortly after lunch to arrange the phone call. A different receptionist told me that all medical staff were fully booked, and the duty doctor would call me. In the event the receptionist called me back and said the doctor had said that I should go to A & E at GWH, despite the fact that I only needed one minute of his time and he was unaware of my ability to get there. Still constipated and with need to have my dressing changed I was told on Thursday morning that no one at any of the group's surgeries was available and that I should try again tomorrow.

The receptionist explained that by referring me to A & E the doctor had fulfilled the duty of care he/she was obliged to give. Whilst that may be legally the case, it is in fact very poor practice; quite different to the hospital where the receptionists are not used as gatekeepers to protect the clinicians from the patients.