"Worse hour of my life...."

I had a colonoscopy at Southend Hospital this week and it was the most painful, humiliating experience of my life.

When i walked in to the treatment room i mentioned that i was feeling very nervous. The doctor just looked at me and said ' That's a good start to the procedure'. i said sorry but i can't help how i feel and they replied ' Do you want to leave it then?'.

What i wanted was some reassurance and a bit of bedside manner.

After receiving the sedation

and painkiller,which the doctor seemed to think i should be to manage without, the procedure started without any explanation whatsoever.

Very soon it became extremely painful despite more sedation. There was barely any communication from the doctor, they actually seemed quite put out that i was finding it so painful.There was no reassurance or concern shown during the whole time i was in the treatment room.

At one point i ended up lying on my stomach, biting the gas and air mouthpiece, crying and begging the doctor to stop.Still nothing.

I then became aware of someone else in the room who took over the procedure.No one bothered to explain who this person was or what was happening.

The next thing i knew i was being wheeled out in to the recovery room. I was so shocked by the rude, uncaring, unprofessional doctor and the pain i'd suffered that i burst in to tears.

When I received my results it stated that a trainee had started the colonoscopy but a consultant completed it.

At no stage was i advised that this abrupt, unfriendly doctor was a trainee, if i were i would never have consented.

I just hope that my symptoms do not ever require further investigation because i will never set foot in the Endoscopy department of Southend Hospital again, whatever the consequence to my health.

I will, however, be making a formal complaint.