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"Disgusted"

About: St James's University Hospital

I rang nhs 111 in the morning for advice as I had lost my sight the night before and was still experiencing foggy vision and numbness, weakness and tingling down my right side. I have been collapsing and experiencing similar symptoms before that have been put down to anxiety disorder so held off from ringing but because my eyesight had also gone I was very concerned. NHS insisted they send an ambulance after doing a computerised questionnaire. I said I didn't think I needed an ambulance but the lady insisted. Ambulance arrived and as I opened the door I was greeted with the comment "Well I can see you haven't had a stroke" in a very loud voice from the female paramedic. I replied "who said anything about a stroke"? and she said that nhs 111 had put a report in that I could have had a stroke. We then went into the kitchen to sit down and the paramedic then asked me in a very fed up and annoyed tone "Well what has made you call an ambulance"? I explained that I had phoned nhs 111 for advice and they insisted on sending an ambulance and that I had not requested one. The paramedics attitude came across like I was completely wasting her time.To cut a long story short I was taken to A&E at St James and once there I was repeatedly asked why I had called am ambulance by different members of staff. While I was in the cubicle I could hear the same paramedic speaking to another member of hospital staff who had got my records up on computer screen. They commented on the amount of things on there and I knew they were taking about me because everything they were saying was about my symptoms. As stated previously I have been treated before for anxiety and I know I have a lot of history on the computer. The paramedic then said again very loudly "I could tear her hair out" which I can only presume that she made an assumption that because of my previous mental health anxiety disorder I had wasted their time. How dare she judge me and how dare the staff at St james treat me so appallingly. I saw a doctor who discharged me after speaking to *his boss* who I think was the same person who I had heard speaking to the paramedic about my computer history. It was again put down to anxiety. A nurse was going to take bloods but never did. Surely every time someone is taken to hospital a presumption should not be made according to a persons history? My symptoms could have been many things and incidently this has happened to be many times before. A womb full of fibroids was put down to anxiety and a second time multiple adhesions and a hydrospinx on my right ovary all all my organs stuck together was put down to anxiety! Why was a judged and treated so appallingly and why are comments and discussions made in hearing distance of the cubicles and anyone in a and e can hear. I will be making a complaint.

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Responses

Response from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 9 years ago
Submitted on 27/05/2014 at 16:48
Published on Care Opinion at 16:50


Dear Anonymous

Thank you for posting your comment. We are very sorry to hear about your experience. If you would like to discuss the issues in person and confidentially please contact the Trust's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0113 2067168 or email patient.relations@leedsth.nhs.uk.

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Response from St James's University Hospital 9 years ago
St James's University Hospital
Submitted on 27/05/2014 at 17:48
Published on nhs.uk on 28/05/2014 at 04:00


Thank you for posting your comment. We are very sorry to hear about your experience. If you would like to discuss the issues in person and confidentially please contact the Trust's Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0113 2067168 or email patient.relations@leedsth.nhs.uk.

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful
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