"Accessing a hospital appointment as a carer"

I am a carer and I look after my mother who is wheelchair bound. I had an appointment for myself at PRI and I needed to take my mum with me as I had no-one else to care for her and she needs 24 hour care. I had to take my mum with me in my private car which meant I needed to ask a neighbour to help me get my mum into my car. 

I was feeling stressed out as I knew when I arrived at PRI I would need to ask for assistance and that it was going to be a struggle for me to get my mum from my car to her wheelchair. I was waiting too for my blue badge to arrive and I was also worried about this too as I would need to park in the disabled parking as I needed the room to manoeuvre my mum out of my car. 

When I arrived at PRI I parked in the disabled spot and ran into the reception area and explained to the staff member at the desk that I had a person who was wheelchair bound and that I needed to park in the disabled parking, I explained to them that I was waiting for my blue badge to arrive.

The person I spoke to looked at me with a look of sheer distaste and scolded me saying that on this occasion they will call up and let whoever it is they needed to let know that i was parked there so that I did not get a ticket and then went on to say that I might get a fine anyway and that did I not realise the problems that they have with people parking in the disabled bay without blue badge and they went on and on.... I felt embarrassed and furious at their attitude. They could quite clearly see that I was flustered and stressed and trying to manage my situation as best as I could. 

I dreaded asking them the next question. But I had too or my mum would have been stuck in the car. So I asked if a porter could assist me whilst I got my mum out my car. Once again I received a hooded stare. With no comment they picked up the phone and then began speaking, I had no idea what they were saying. They then put the phone down and began working. I asked them if a porter was coming, again they stared at me as though I had committed a crime and after a pause said yes. I asked if they knew how long they would be as I had an appointment and they said they could'nt tell me that.

I left and went outside and sat with my mum.

A man came walking out the door with a wheelchair. I asked him if he was looking for me and he replied are you the lady looking for assistance I said yes but I don't need a wheelchair as I had one and I explained what I was about to do.  He told me that he would not be able to help me get my mum out the car as he was not allowed to do that. I asked if he could stand nearby in case I dropped her or she lost her balance when I tried to get her out of the car. He done this. He was a lovely person and a credit to PRI as he was pleasant, considerate and also apologetic  and he helped me happily as much as he could.  

Staff attitude