"Rude and insensitive "

We took my 88 year old father-in-law to A and E yesterday because he had excruciating hip pain and was unable to walk. He is waiting to see orthopaedics as his hip and knee are now bone on bone. We know how stretched the NHS is but we couldn’t leave him in agony.

On arrival we were spoken to in the most inappropriate manner by the admissions clerk. It would appear that if complete lack of empathy, a patronising attitude and a basically rude manner were all attributes required when recruiting these people, she would be pass the interview with flying colours.

I explained my father-in-law was often confused (Dementia) but she ignored me and carried on interrogating him; becoming more and more frustrated when he didn’t understand her questions. At one point she said that she didn’t think he was an emergency and what did we expect them to do for him? Are we now having clerks diagnose patients? When I said that I was worried that he was going to fall (he lives alone) and create what would then be a potentially catastrophic and expensive situation she said “ well bring him back when he’s broken his hip then.”

Writing this does not adequately convey her dismissive tone and the way she spoke to my father-in-law as if he was a nuisance and just clogging up the system. To say she was reluctant to help was an understatement.

Meanwhile, my husband went to find help in the orthopaedic department. By complete contrast, the matron there could not have been more helpful and understanding and was appalled at what had taken place.

This is a man that would not trouble anybody unless he was desperate.

We are not talking about the pressures that the pandemic has brought with it here. We are are all too aware that the NHS have been under phenomenal strain and I have been one of the many who have supported them throughout. This is about professional standards where good manners cost nothing. It takes a lot of energy to be to be unkind and this woman needs to be completely retrained or find a different career path. She could not have made it more obvious that she didn’t want to be there.