"A sad story about being let down, demeaned, humiliated and not believed"

Although this story is true it is not comprehensive as it would then be too long.

I attended a hospital out-patient clinic and my first attendance was following an urgent, but not emergency, referral.

At a subsequent appointment, in a room with two members of staff, I became very tearful as one repeatedly ran rings round me. I became increasingly upset by the way they responded to me and, although I was distressed and tearful, I was definitely not in any way rude.

I was unable to cope and I asked them to stop. It was like being tormented and I felt wound up. When I was called in to see another staff member I was still very upset.

I sent a message to a senior member of staff asking for help and stating that it was not a complaint. They telephoned me, listened to me and seemed to be understanding. They said they would investigate and, in their absence, would get a senior member to bring me up to date with their findings at my next appointment.

At the appointment the senior member of staff was not there when I arrived and the staff member who had caused me such distress was waiting for me. I was worried, scared and I refused to see them alone. They called for their senior to attend. The meeting was very stressful, I was not prepared for it at all and it did not go well. The senior said they had not been contacted and knew nothing about “this” and had received no feedback from their senior member of staff. They had no update to give me.

At my request the senior member of staff telephoned me on their return and, this time, their approach was very different from the first telephone call. they said that one of their staff members was with them and, having already informed them of the details of that awful meeting, I asked if I could speak to the staff member.

I was absolutely shocked, upset and humiliated to hear them say clearly, in the hearing of the senior, that they had spoken to me and had given me details of the update they had received. The senior member of staff had spoken to them, they said they relayed this to me. I was beyond upset to here this account that did not bear any reality to what they said at the earlier impromptu meeting in the absence of the senior member of staff.

I became distraught but was not rude. I could not believe that they were doing this. I spoke to the senior member of staff who was aware of my absolute shock and distress. There is more detail but too much to mention here.

The senior member of staff made it clear to me that they believed their staff, they knew them, had known them for some time and said that they trusted them and they would not lie. They said that they believed their staff and commented that they did not know me. Of course I was ‘beyond’ upset by this time and asked if I could speak to the staff member again (who was present with the senior staff member during the telephone call.) I was told that they had left the room because they were upset at the way I had treated them. The senior member of staff said that, according to their findings the appointment had not involved any problems.

Now to me that means that four members of the staff say that what I have reported did not happen. It feels as if they have, to my detriment, “closed ranks.”

I was asked if I wanted to make a formal complaint and I refused. I did not elaborate as to why. There is more to tell but this is the best I can do for now.

I feel unsafe going into that Department again and I am at a low ebb, struggling to think that anyone would believe that I could even think of making up such a story. The senior staff member was not impartial. I don’t think Patient Affairs are impartial either.