"Lack of care, compassion and empathy"

A friend asked me to accompany her to an Oncology appointment, during which she was told that because of a deterioration in her health there was little could be done for her. On asking how long she had left to live the reply was weeks rather than months.

As you can imagine this was devastating news and both of us were extremely upset. The oncologist asked the nurse present if there was a family room we could use but was told no. We were then sent out of the consultation room to an area for her to get bloods done and then expected to leave the hospital. My friend was obviously very distressed at this point. Where was the care and compassion for my friend after receiving such devastating news?

My friend was very weak and on arrival at the hospital I had dropped her at the entrance and then parked my car some distance away. I was now in a situation where I was not prepared to leave my friend on her own while I went for my car. We had been allowed out a side door which was close to the Beatson unit. Having had to attend there myself, I knew the setup. We went into the Beatson and sat in the seats near reception, the design of which gave us some privacy to cry and talk about what had happened. Only when my friend felt OK did I get my car and collected her from outside the door of the Beatson.

To be delivered very bad news about your prognosis and not have an area where people could go to for some privacy shows a complete lack of care, compassion and empathy.