"Felt like a commodity, not a patient."

i usually go to one of two private hospitals, one in London and another in Buckhurst Hill, but the consultant I wanted to see was at the Spire Roding Hospital. The plus is that there was plenty of car parking, which makes a real difference.

I walked in and the place did not feel friendly at all. The person at the desk was brusque, with no warmth and was not the kind of person you would want to meet when you are nervous about your treatment.

A smile might have made a difference.

My consultant was lovely, but then I had to go and book an xray and neither of the people on the desk seemed interested in me as a person and just booked me in.

As a point of contrast, I attended the local NHS Hospital in Leytonstone with my mother recently and she could not have been treated better, everyone was friendly and welcoming, I see no reason why I should not receive that kind of courtesy from a private hospital.

I came away feeling like a commodity, I was only there because BUPA would pay my fees, after all and I felt very much part of a transaction rather than a service.

Coincidentally, I have been in an American hospital in Chicago and everyone was so nice there - here all they were interested in was my debit card number, even though I was covered by BUPA.

This evening I had to call appointments to clarify something, and

I hung on for ages, and then received the same unfriendly response. I am not looking forward to returning and finishing my tests, and I certainly will not be going back there again.