"Lack of communication or team work"

I attended a vascular clinic today. This was my third appointment at this clinic.

First appointment height and blood pressure taken in a corridor as other patients walked by.

Undignified to say the least. Examined by a junior doctor, they were very good and reassuring.

The doctor booked my second appointment whilst I was there for a deep vein scan. However, arrived two weeks later to be told the clinic and scan had been cancelled I had not received any information about the cancellation. However my husband spoke to a admin person at the research area, they explained the clinic had been cancelled but would ring the consultant’s secretary and see if they could get a clinician to complete the scan. The admin person returned a short time later and indeed the scan was conducted.

However,I arrived 30 minutes prior to my appointment as advised at my first appointment at 10am. At 10:15 a health care assistant called my name and began to direct me for my scan. I explained I had had the scan two weeks previously. The health care assistant looked confused as it was not in my notes and I was on the list today.

The health care assistant returned called me again to take my blood pleasure in the corridor undignified. The health care professional explained they had located my scan report. As the consultant was in surgery the clinic was running around 30 minutes late. My husband and I sat and waited watching patients arriving after me in clinic. I counted seven in total being called and seen before me. At 11:40 am. An hour and forty minutes after we arrived my husband went to the desk to ask where was I in the queue, to be told they didn’t know and would have to check. My husband came back and sat with me a short time later. A health care professional approach us and said that there were four patients in the queue before me so it would be an addition 30 to 40 minute wait. The board above the clinic desk stated there were thirty one appointments in clinic today. There were only four other remaining patients waiting for the clinic today. So how does a 10 am appointment which would make me the sixth patient to be seen in clinic today become the thirty first?

Was it due to somebody knocking over a number of patients notes at the desk at 10.30am. I was not the first person to question the delay. The three people to question the delay before me were seen immediately. One person was told to come back another day.

I had sat in clinic around 105 minutes in a great deal of pain and discomfort it was unbearable.

When I told the health care professional I could not wait any longer

they said, ‘oh’

It was obviously I was distressed and in pain.

So where do I go from here?

I have attended three different clinics at this hospital and my experience was the same extremely poor. I think the staff are doing there best but the lack of communication from the administration and lack of team work is appalling to say the least.