I am currently undergoing fertility treatment at St Mary's hospital. It has been a challenging experience to say the least. Initially, I had a very long wait from first being referred in March ( I did not see a consultant until February the following year) The delay was mainly related to the multiple appointments cancelled along the way. Also, I was due to be seen in December, but was told to wait in the wrong department by the reception staff. To make matters worse, another receptionist tried to blame me for the error. Understandably I was incredibly upset by this not only had both my husband and I taken time off for the appointment, my appointment was now delayed further. We decided to complain, and to this day are yet to receive a reply. However despite this I kept an open mind. I had a recent day case procedure at St Mary's hospital. I felt all the staff (including the HCAs, nurses, and doctors) from the admissions unit, to theatre staff, to the staff on the ward were all excellent. I was quite anxious about the procedure, as it was my first time having a general anaesthetic, the staff really helped me to allay my fears. I was particularly worried about coming back round from the anaesthetic. The recovery team including the anaesthetist and the nurse were fantastic in supporting me through. The nurse involved was very respectful of my religious needs. In summary I feel had the receptionist apologised for the error, shown some empathy and helped to resolve the matter I would have not felt the need to complain. Instead we were left to ring the secretary and hope for a cancellation. I don't think people realise how sensitive issues around fertility are and this just made matters worse. I feel the complaints procedure is appalling.
"Room for improvement"
About: St Mary's Hospital (Manchester) St Mary's Hospital (Manchester) Manchester M13 9WL
Posted via nhs.uk
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