"Terrible experience"

I originally got referred to the surgical department by my doctor. My appointment was at 2pm, I was directed to the waiting room and shortly after received a visit from the nurse to check my vitals etc. I felt completely embarrassed as they did all of this in the waiting room, speaking about my condition etc and asking to do my blood pressure in front of everyone! (of which I had to remove my jumper and was only wearing a vest underneath) this I felt was humiliating being sat in a room of around 20 people watching/listening, it was not private at all.

During my time waiting, nurses were coming round putting in peoples cannulas and removing them which I think is completely unacceptable to do in a waiting room. After waiting an hour I got seen by two members of staff who seemed very inexperienced from the start and half way through my examination I read their id badges and they were medical students, of which they failed to mention to me. I thought it was policy to ask if you are happy to be seen by a medical student first. I found this completely unacceptable as I was around two medical students without being informed and without the presence of someone qualified. I know everyone has to start somewhere, but my problem was a very delicate situation and i was in a lot of pain which I did not feel comfortable being examined by two medical students who had to keep confiding in each other about what to do next. At one stage when they shut the curtain so I could get changed one of them stayed my side of the curtain, of which I had to ask them to go and stand the other side.

Following this, I was told in a few minutes time I would be seen by their senior and got referred back to the waiting room. After various chasing of an update, I finally got seen at 9pm which I think is appalling particularly as I was in a lot of pain of which I was given a prescription for, only to be told the pharmacy was shut and I would have to return again the next day. The whole service I received was completely insensitive and very distressing. I ended up leaving the hospital in floods of tears and feeling humiliated.

Every experience I have had at stoke has been terrible and I have never once felt like a respected human being. Animals at the vets get treated with much more respect and get seen much quicker.