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"Paramedic rude"

About: Kent & Canterbury Hospital South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust / Emergency ambulance

(as a service user),

Have a lot of multiple health problems and it takes a lot for me to get to stage of calling ambulance service as I feel I don't want to waste their time.

Anyway, my partner called ambulance service at 6 in the morning as my stomach was distended due to my failing liver. I also suffer severe anxiety and depression. When the paramedic came they asked if I was sure I was not just making things up as I went along, so by this time I was crying while having ECG. I kept thinking how can I get away from this situation? It was then while their colleague was taking leads of they asked if I had called them just to get quick check up, I got up and ran into my bedroom.

My partner heard this and was disgusted, and said to them that I had treatment recently to have high grade cervical cancer cells removed, a fibrosed liver, dvt, reduced air entry to lung. The paramedic apologised that they had made me feel this way, explaining that they themselves had had no sleep and a bad night.

The nice one looked sorry and tried to console me but my partner said no I won't come out now so we called and asked for name badge number as they took their paper work with they, they clearly knew how they had upset me.

I'm traumatized. I do not want to now attend my liver consultant appointment - it keeps playing on my mind as they were making like I was a hypochondriac, and now my anxiety has made me want to end this all. These were from SECAmb south east paramedics my partner was upset for me

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Responses

Response from Amanda Hallums, Operations Director, Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust 4 years ago
Amanda Hallums
Operations Director,
Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust
Submitted on 07/02/2020 at 15:07
Published on Care Opinion at 16:35


Good afternoon

I was very sorry to read your experience.

It is important you attend your outpatient appointment.

Kind regards

Amanda Hallums

Chief Nurse

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Response from Marie Clifford, Patient Experience Officer, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust 4 years ago
Marie Clifford
Patient Experience Officer,
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Submitted on 12/02/2020 at 11:00
Published on Care Opinion at 11:00


Hello,

I was very sorry to hear of the distress you were caused by the attitude of a member of this Trust's staff. We would very much like to look into what happened and in order that we can do so, please will you contact us so that we can gather the information we need to raise enquiries with the members of staff concerned.

Our email address is pet@secamb.nhs.uk and our telephone number is 0300 123 9242.

I would like to echo my colleague's message above that it is very important you attend your hospital appointment.

Please be assured that once we have all the details, we will take your complaint seriously and that we will provide you with a full response to all the issues you have raised.

Best wishes

Marie

Marie Clifford

Patient Experience Officer

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

Nexus House, Gatwick Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9BG

Patient Experience Team: 0300 1239 242

Switchboard: 0300 123 0999 Extension: 34830

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