"A&E & pregnancy scanning Review"

We went to A&E at the Royal Surrey last night at 3am after my partner who is 15 weeks pregnant suffered an unexpected bleed. The staff in A&E were attentive and caring. Too often people are quick to raise negative comments and I feel that praise should be given for things that go well. The nurse on duty was lovely and is a shining example as to how to make a patient feel cared for. The nurse expressed sympathy and was really caring; a real star. It is such a shame then that the scanning department should have been so appalling. The A&E doctor referred us to the scanning department for a scan the following day. When I called and spoke to the scanning department, they were rude, uncaring and uninterested. I was told that all referrals would be dealt with at 9am and that we would get a call back at 9am. I was told that the doctor should not have told us that we would be able to have a scan. The person I spoke to was uninterested in our personal circumstances and uncaring. It may be no surprise to hear that we did not get a call back at 9am. We did not get an appointment for a scan. Someone eventually called at 11.30am by which point in time we had gone to Frimley Park hospital instead. The telephone manner of the scanning department was appalling and such a contrast to the brilliant way in which A&E had behaved. Courtesy, good manners and a degree of empathy cost nothing. The people that man your phones are often the first port of call and ought to bear in mind that patients who are calling up are unwell and often anxious or worried, so they should adjust their attitude accordingly. If you record telephone conversations it would be good if someone were to listen back to the call that I had this morning with the scanning department