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"Disappointed and ignored by the staff"

About: Sandwell General Hospital

I waited an hour to see the consultant although I was on time and had an appointment booked in advance weeks earlier. During the consultation, the consultant ignored my request for a drink of water and said if I needed one then I can go and buy a cup of coffee and she was going to see another patient. I asked only for some water as I was there waiting for a full hour without anything to drink, no water machine or access to drinking water. I asked if she could ask a nurse to bring some water for me so I didn't miss my appointment but she/the doctor refused. Then she was on the phone for half of my consultation telling me that she was on call and had to take those calls. It was really upsetting and embarrassing for me even more that I had to listen to other people's/patients' medical issues while sitting opposite which was actually quite distressing as they about were leukaemia and some critical patients. The consultant did not find it inappropriate or unprofessional and I felt like a nuisance while she was on the phone although it was my own consultation time. She would also ask me questions in between the calls but did not seem to listen or interested in my answers. At the end she said she may see me before Christmas which was in two weeks time and then refer me for a biopsy and ct scan. However, I did not see her until six weeks later and had no biopsy arranged. I only got a letter for a ct scan only which was not explained to me at all by her or anyone else beforehand and I simply was too scared and unsure about to go through with. Lastly, when I asked the nurse whilst waiting about a toilet she pointed me to some door that was not marked as one and I couldn't open it as it was locked. When I tried to ask her to help me or show me another toilet she just ignored me, smirked and walked away. Summing up, no access to toilets, drinking water, information on how long the waiting time was going to be and why and once in, the consultant is more preoccupied and concerned with the calls than the patient in front of her. I do not even know how to describe it the whole experience apart from as a terrible one.

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Responses

Response from Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 5 years ago
Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust
Submitted on 28/01/2020 at 10:56
Published on Care Opinion at 10:56


I am very sorry to hear about this, this is not the standard of care that we aim to provide and we would like to look into what happened here. Please could you contact the Communications Team (swbh.comms@nhs.net), with your contact details and details of the department where this occurred so they can raise the matter further with the relevant manager. Kind regards, Dr David Carruthers, Medical Director.

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