"3 out of 3 just too bad !"

Anything else?

I moved to Bradford in June of 2011. I have met my G.P only twice in that time. So basically, I do not take a decision to visit A & E lightly. Unfortunately, I have had occasion to do so 3 times this year. The first time having been ordered by the practice nurse to go straight to A & E after my legs and feet had swelled to three times their usual size 2 days into a holiday abroad and hadn't gone down 4 days after returning home.The second time because I had fallen ill on the Saturday, hoped I would feel better by the Sunday and didn't ( in fact I felt markedly worse ) so on the way home called in A & E to get checked out. The first time, I have to say the staff were very nice and very helpful. I was seen to within a few hours which is totally acceptable in an A & E dept. I am extremely sympathetic to the strain put upon them. My problem was with the rudeness of the nurse handing me the medication prescribed by the consultant. She asked if I paid for my prescriptions, well at the moment ( for the first time in my whole adult life ) I don't. She immediately snapped ( and I do mean snapped ) at me " why " !!?? I was a little taken aback but explained to her that ( embarrassingly ) I was on benefits at the moment, " what benefits " ? was the reply she again snapped back at me. When I told her which benefit, she demanded an explanation as to " what that was " ? Surely if she was going to " interrogate " me, she should have known at least a little about what she was talking about..how else was she going to determine whether or not I was lying ? Which is exactly ( along with embarrassed, patronised and feeling like a a 2nd class citizen ) how she made me feel ! After demanding to see proof, which I hadn't brought because I didn't know it was required, I was again spoken to as if I was a) trying to cheat the system b) a scrounger and c) just plain stupid for not doing so, I was on the verge of both tears and walking out without the medication when she thrust an already written invoice into my face for £33.40 again snapping at me informed me that I had 14 days to pay up or bring some proof otherwise it would be sent to the collections dept. I couldn't get out of there quick enough, but remained shocked, upset and worried about how I was going to pay or get recent enough proof in time. I have never heard of this before. I do not understand why she didn't ask me to fill out the prescription that surely must have been issued, where my details and N.I no. could have been checked. Either way there was absolutely no need for her attitude or rudeness. I would never treat or speak to anybody like that and I don't expect it to come from a so-called " professional " especially one in a caring profession ! I have run out of characters unfortunately so can't tell you how my asthmatic daughter (visiting from York) was left in the waiting area unable to breathe for 4 hrs and was spoken to like I was and left the dept. untreated to drive home to go to York hospital !