"Rude reception staff"

A few days ago, a friend of mine had consumed an unknown substance at a party and had started to experience an awful amount of pain and other bad health effects several hours after its consumption.

We didn't call an ambulance as the hospital was not that far down the road, and didn't want to put unnecessary strain on what we already know to be an overburdened health service, but seconds after calling a taxi ourselves walking into the Emergency Department, we wish we had dialled 999.

We were met with who was quite possibly the most rudest person I have ever encountered in my life. My friend was in a severe amount of pain but maybe because they wasn't quite writhing on the floor yet, I don't think they were taken seriously at all.

The receptionist was loudly chewing gum, refused to make eye contact, and rolled their eyes as we told them what happened. It seemed that they could not have cared less, and it was incredibly frustrating to be relating what had happened in such a moment of stress to be met with sighs and blatant rudeness and disrespectfulness. It was not busy in the ED at the time either, so I don't think there's any excuse.

I went up later to the desk to ask a question but they instead put a finger up and started typing up some paperwork. I waited patiently for two-three minutes whilst they were still clicking away on the computer and then they moved the paper to the side and took a long sip of coffee and looked at their watch, stretching. I assumed they were done and motioned to speak and ask my question but they rudely shook their head and continued to disregard me. It was nothing but insolence. I eventually shook my head out of frustration and moved to the other receptionist as they had finished taking the details of another person who had walked in. They weren't much politer, but they did answer my question. I understand the NHS is overworked, but this treatment and behaviour is actually just unacceptable. 

After we were finally taken through - after my friend had been addressed with the correct first name but some other patient's last name - it was evident that the IT system in place at the hospital was incompetent. Extremely important information about my friend's past medical history that had been told to the first doctor who triaged us, whilst seemingly noted down in the online database, had not been passed on to the other healthcare professionals on the case. The same questions was asked several times by different people, and the answers were taken as brand new information to them. After a few repetitions, we really started to worry about whether my friend was going to be receiving the best care possible. Later on in the process, they were handed a jar to give a urine sample in and was told someone would be by immediately to unhook the IV so they could go to the bathroom. After HALF AN HOUR had passed, we eventually had to ask a passing nurse to do so. My friend is young and was conscious so they understood what needed to be done, but I worry for a more elderly, less aware patient in those circumstances.

My friend was eventually discharged, and thankfully is doing okay now, but I feel that the care they received at RHL was unacceptable, and I am in shock that hospitals that run in this manner still exist.