"A poor experience with a doctor"

I was referred to the cardiology unit a while ago and received an appointment for September 2014. A few days before the appointment I received a call to say the appointment was being cancelled, when I asked for another date they said there was an appointment on the same date but a later time if that was OK. I said it was, checked where I needed to go for the appointment and that was that.

I then went to the hospital on my appointment date at the new later time, when I arrived there was no one around. Eventually a young person came along and offered to find out where I was supposed to be. They came back after a few minutes and explained I was in the wrong place and took me to the right clinic area.

I gave the receptionist my appointment letter, they said there were no notes for me and no record of an appointment. On checking the letter again they noticed the original time and said I should have been there in the morning – I explained about the phone call I had received but they could not find any record of any calls. In the end I was told to wait and would be able to see a consultant that evening.

The doctor I saw did not have any of my notes so no information about me. They interrogated me about my health, expected answers to questions I was unable to answer and was impatient. They were so arrogant with me and I became very agitated and had to tell them I had come to the hospital because my GP had referred me, and rather than they getting a report from me I was there to get a report from them. The doctor nearly hit the roof. I felt I was getting the brunt of whatever had annoyed or upset him earlier.

I am a big girl, as I have put on weight due to several factors but have been trying to lose weight over several years. Since last June I have lost 3 stones. The consultant just kept saying ‘too much weight, too much weight’ and kept telling me I needed to lose it. I did eventually manage to get them to listen to me when I said I had been trying and that I had succeeded in losing 3 stone. They made no comment on this whereas by GP has been very complimentary and encouraging.

They asked me if I smoked and kept challenging me when I said I had not smoked for about 30 years, for some reason they seemed to think I had stopped more recently – 2001 or 2011.

They then said they were going to put me on new tablets. When I asked if I should carry on taking my current tablets they did go through all my medication and told me what I should carry on with and what I should stop. They said I should take a letter to my GP and come and see them again in a month or two. They wrote out a letter to my GP, I noticed in the letter they mentioned seeing me again in 6 months. As I was leaving I queried the discrepancy –should I be back in 1-2 months or in 6 months? They just told me to go!

I am not happy with this, not happy at all. I never want to be treated like this again.