"A shame when one lets down all"

I visited the urgent care centre after being referred by 111 who I had phoned for some advice. I waited for 55 minutes after my pre-booked appointment but this was somewhat understandable given that an emergency came in around 30 mins after I was scheduled to be seen.

I was seen by someone I assume to be a nurse. I do not disagree with her diagnosis as she is the medical professional however her attitude left a lot to be desired. Although she may not have believed that my condition warranted a visit to the Urgent Care Centre, she came across, in my opinion, as unprofessional with her highly patronising tone. I reminded her that I had not self-referred, I had been referred by 111 whose judgement I had trusted based upon the honest answers I had given to their questions. The nurse then told me that if my condition got worse and I couldn’t walk or talk, to go to A&E which is approximately 25 minutes away. If my condition was to worsen to that degree, I would assume the sensible advice would be to phone 999 therefore I found her advice somewhat concerning. However, it wasn’t her advice that concerned me the most but the way in which she was delivering it - we mayaswell have told me that I had clearly wasted her time.

I’d like to think that the other people who work here have a much more respectful tone with their patients and that this nurse doesn’t represent the majority. One of the doctors certainly seemed to spring to action when the emergency situation arose. However, if this is how I was treated when I was referred by someone else (rightly or wrongly), I dread to think how some people are spoken to upon self-referral. The fact of the matter is that, in a front line role in the NHS, communication skills should be strong and professionals should be competent to use a tone which is respectful to all patients, regardless of their age or social status.