"faithful patient many years with this practice..."

I am a health care professional of many years standing and have held senior positions. This practice has a bad culture. No existing or recent staff should be involved in the appointment of new people, or the bad attitudes will be transferred.

Recently Reception staff denied that I had been given specific information, that left me without critical medication for 48 hours. They also denied I had given instructions 7 weeks before.

The bad practices date back many years continuously.

I was once told by a doctor to go home and take paracetamol when I was suffering a heart attack; another one told me I could not have viagra on the grounds that it was their decision alone, yet another mistook me for a relative with a different surname who was dead and 20 years older than me.

Filing a report on an investigation, that showed a patient to have a potentially fatal condition, without seeing the patient was unforgivable, but it happened.

The insulting display of appointments missed by patients does not get thru to anyone except the compliant.

The doctors would not give me medication for a chronic condition until symptoms meant time off work.

I have been a diabetic for 13 years and have never been referred to a specialist nurse or podiatrist.

The diabetic medication I was prescribed made me very ill and I learned from a patient that I could have a dearer alternative that had not been offered.

I have been refused a prostate cancer blood test, and a cancer bowel check although my brother, first cousin, grandmother and her sister, and a great-grandfather died died of the condition.

It seems the negative doctor - patient thing may have arisen years ago when this was a mining community about which few people cared and has been carried on seamlessly since and has spread to the some of the reception staff in more recent times.

The main problem seems to be arrogance on the part of staff, and an uncaring 'us and them' attitude towards patients and relatives.

It appear that some reception staff may have been recruited because they 'are good at handling problem clients / patients'.

There was a Practice Nurse who left a few months ago and who was outstandingly good as have been a minority of others.

I could say a lot more - but this problem has been around so long - its evident that the ones who can make a difference don't care - so why should I waste more of my time?

Now is the time to leave the wretched place - to those who seek no change.

I wish good luck to those who soldier on and tolerate - like I have done - but I don't advocate such behaviour.