"Taking my Grandson to Urgent Care"

My grandson age 6 had suffered a tick bite while walking in the lake district and though we were able to remove most of the tick, we were concerned that he may need anti biotics to combat the possibility of Lymes disease.

When we arrived at the Urgent care centre, the first question we were asked in an accusatory manner was have you made an appointment via 111. It was a Saturday evening we had not been back long and rather than go to an A&E department I thought it best to have him checked out at the local Urgent Care centre. When I said I didn't have an appointment I was told it was likely I would have to wait a while as people take priority. As it happened there were two other people in front of us and we were seen quickly, thankfully it was felt that no further treatment was necessary. 

I was still irked by the un caring and uncompassionate manner in which we were questioned on arrival, so I approached the receptionist who had spoken in that manner and I asked where the adverts were to suggest we must ring 111 first, there were certainly no instructions on the wall in the waiting area. They told me that they were in doctors surgeries. So I said what happens if people don't go to doctors surgeries which is the case for the majority of healthy people. There were no GP surgeries working on a Saturday and not in the evening.

I do not watch television so should have missed any adverts if there were any but I do regularly listen to local radio and have never heard an advert advising me to book an appointment through 111.

Another point I would like to make is the lack of privacy. While I was sitting in the waiting room a young lady arrived at the window to be asked in an unfriendly manner whether she had made an appointment or not. She was then asked what the problem was and explained her minor ailment in detail.  I should never have known that about her. What if she was suffering a sexually transmitted disease, imagine the embarrassment of having to explain in a public place what the problem was.

I worked in the NHS for decades and was a Service manager for a good proportion of that time. What happened to the 6 C's or does that not apply now?  

There really needs to be some consideration given to the front of business attitude that the public faces, usually when they are feeling anxious anyway, there are  only a small minority of people who choose to go to hospital if they don't really want to, I appreciate that some people may not want to be at work on a sunny Saturday evening but if that is the case they shouldn't be doing the job they are doing and making poorly people even more miserable.

I am sorry for the tirade but it is really one of the fundamental aspects of the care profession and frustrates me when it would appear little progress is made and the good staff in the NHS get tarred with the same brush.