"Poor treatment in Cardiology Outpatients Department"

I brought my wife to attend an outpatients appointment with the cardiology outpatients department and came away upset and disappointed with the treatment she received.

The reception staff was fine, as was the lady who weighed her. The staff who undertook her ECG were ignorant, in that they spoke amongst themselves, through a curtain and ignored her throughout the monitoring and then hurried her out from the room, because they thought the doctor was waiting for her. It appeared that they thought that was her fault.

 A year ago, when she attended the department, because she was suffering from significant discomfort, as a result of her AF, she saw a very pleasant doctor, who took the time to explain her condition to her and she was told that, if her AF was still causing her problems after twelve months, she would be fitted with a pacemaker, which would completely remove the symptoms from which she has been suffering.

She saw a different doctor today. This one was unsympathetic, curt and dismissive and said that there was nothing to worry about. The doctor said her heart is strong and could cope with the AF, so that there was no need for a pacemaker and that intervention would only be necessary if something significant changed. She tried to tell the doctor that the symptoms made her feel unsteady on her feet and faint at times, but they just shrugged that off, telling her that her heart would always self correct, before she ever fainted or fell over. The doctor did not converse with her, but dictated their opinion and ushered her out, leaving her thinking that there was no consideration for her feelings, only for their own time management. My wife was rushed in and then rushed out. Surely, patients should be more important than administrative targets?

She did not attend the hospital because the sun was shining, she came because she has a problem which continues to cause her significant discomfort. The doctor she saw displayed none of the caring attitude we should be able to expect from our medical staff and needs re-education on the way in which they communicate with their patients.  I feel the doctor certainly needs to pay attention to the values published by the hospital.

I have raised this matter, as my wife is so distraught at the thought that she will need to put up with the discomfort she is suffering on a permanent basis, because this doctor at the hospital doesn't care enough to even think about doing anything about it.