"No introduction or explanation"

About: North Devon District Hospital / Orthodontics North Devon District Hospital Orthodontics Barnstaple EX31 4JB

Posted by Onlyamum (as a service user), 2 days ago

I had an outpatient appointment which was running to time which was good. The first staff member I saw introduced herself and was warm and welcoming. Then I saw the next person who may well be competent however I felt they have very poor consultation skills.
No introduction
No explanation
No looking at history or understanding or wanting to hear my story / ideas / concerns or expectations
Felt they were focussed on defensive attitudes which are patronising and outdated and not person centred
Outcome of the consultation may well be the same and may well have been the same in any event
It is a shame that such a patronising approach persists as this has not been my experience with others who work in the same speciality

More about:

dental

Do you have a similar story to tell?

Responses

Dianne Cooper

Dental Nurse Team Manager- Maxillofacial & Orthodontics (Northern Services), Maxillofacial & Orthodontics (Northern Services),

Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 25/11/2025 at 15:39

Published on Care Opinion at 15:39

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent outpatient appointment. I am genuinely sorry to hear that your experience did not reflect the high standard of person-centred care we aim to provide.
I am pleased that your appointment ran on time and that your first interaction was warm and welcoming, but I am concerned to learn that the consultation which followed did not meet your expectations. It is clear from your comments that you did not feel listened to, fully informed, or treated with the level of respect and engagement that every patient deserves. For this, I offer my sincere apologies.
Introducing ourselves, explaining each step of the consultation, and taking time to understand a patient’s history, concerns and expectations is good clinical practice. I am sorry that this was not your experience on this occasion. Your feedback highlights important learning points, and I will ensure it is shared with the team so we can reflect and address the issues you have raised constructively.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention. We value all feedback, and your comments will help us continue to improve the service we provide. If you would like to discuss your experience in more detail, please feel free to contact the department and we will be more than happy to support you.
kind regards
Dianne Cooper
Dental Nurse manager

{{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
Was this response helpful? Yes | No
Thank you for your feedback.
See more responses from Dianne Cooper

Navigation
Shortcut Help	?
Go to Home	g + h
Go to Tell Your Story	g + t
Go to About Us	g + a

Text size

Theme

Language

No introduction or explanation

"No introduction or explanation"

Responses

Keyboard Shortcuts

Opinions
Next Response	j
Previous Response	k