"My response to your promises"

I had an outpatient appointment at Stoke Mandeville Hospital recently.

I arrived at 15: 00 and did not leave until 18: 50. My appointment was for 15. 30.

The waiting times are beyond shocking.

I arrived at the hospital car park at 14: 50 and it took me 15/20 minutes to park. Already, the car parking meter is ticking and there are no car parking spaces.

The reception area was dated, hot, congested and a there was a long queue.

I went to the fracture clinic, which was absolutely full. There was no proper signage to explain what to do and where to go. There wasn’t enough seats which meant I sat in the area where patients go for bloods.

I left my letter in a red basket, other piled on. I did not know what system was being utilised for any patient.

The floor area and general area was unclean, it smelled and there was only one point to apply sanitising liquid at the entrance, which you would completely miss coming through the open doors.

Eventually one of the nurses came out and apologised that the clinic was running an hour and a ten minutes behind schedule quoting itt has just been a crazy afternoon, we really apologise for the delay.

The afternoon went on. I still was not seen until 17: 55. The doctor apologised. I had already asked the nurse how long it was going to take. I was absolutely livid. All other patients in the waiting room, were complaining in exactly the same manner. Patients had been in and out topping up there parking, costing a fortune to be there.

My appointment only lasted ten minutes. I had to go for an x-ray. The department had closed at 17. 30. I made my way to another part of the hospital, waiting further.

After the x-ray I had to come back again and left at 1850. This is a fracture clinic, most patients in the room were on crutches and in a great deal of pain. It is absolutely disgraceful that patients should have to wait up to and above three hours. It is beyond any explanation and apology. The Consultants and patients suffer and it seems that hospital management think it is acceptable to overbook clinics to this extent. It is appalling to fathom who is behind these management decisions and leave the front line staff in the firing line of unhappy patients.

Where is the care?

Stoke Mandeville Hospital promises posted all over the hospital are way beyond a comedy of errors and comical. My response to each of the promises are as follows:

1) There is care from some of your staff. I witnessed a lack of care from the staff that made patients wait unnecessarily to take bloods, whilst they were having a long chat about home life. The uniform worn by some of your staff, was filthy and looked like they had used it to do painting and cleaning. It is absolutely unclear that a delay of one hour and ten minutes would go onto three hours. (I took time off work for this appointment).

2) The care is not close to my home, not offering me choice or flexibility and it was a maximum delay of three hours. I returned home hours and hours later. There was absolutely no respect for my time.

3) The facilities were a disgrace. I went to the toilet and walked straight back out. The entire area was dated and unclean. The environment was nothing short of what you would find in a third world country. There was no promotion of Wellbeing sat in these conditions for so long in pain.

4) The best clinical care is not be provided as the patient waiting times are beyond control and overbooking in a clinic is shocking. The professionals dont provide the best care, as they are over stretched and have not got the resources.

There were over fifty people waiting at one time at the fracture clinic. There is no doubt in my mind that this is a daily occurrence of over booking patients. A clinic that should finish close to 1700 was still on going until 2000.

I would like a full and thorough investigation into this whole fiasco. If I have to return to Stoke Mandeville for a hospital appointment and encounter any sort of delay, I want a member of the management team come to explain why and how it is respectful of my time.