"What a waste of everyone’s time"

Almost 6 years ago I was bitten by a strangers dog so I went straight to my doctors and got seen by the nurse who cleaned up the wound, dressed it and gave me a tetanus shot.  Three weeks later I developed what was to be the start of Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria along with dermographism.  I had never heard of this before but for a while it took over my life.   My entire skin basically can feel like it is on fire from just one light stroke but also extremely itchy so you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.  I have had light therapy, creams, steroids and many many antihistamines which are still part of my daily routine four times a day.  I have scratched my skin until I have ripped it off and had to ask my young children not to cuddle me because of the pain and it would set it all off.  It was heartbreaking.  Who knew an itch could become so debilitating.  

Recently though I had been referred to Wishaw by dermatology from Monklands, who made many errors in the way this was done.  One, I was handed two parts of the prescription and asked to hand one to my GP and one to the pharmacy at Wishaw, then call and make an appointment with the day unit (actually they said day surgery unit so I was firstly met with a confused nurse there before having to call back Monklands, speak to a secretary who found my notes were not clear at that time before being redirected to dermatology day unit).  Then, I could not make an appointment because the paperwork had not been completed by the doctor and who couldn't be contacted.  It was all a bit of a mess but help came in the form of a new Pharmacist in Wishaw who has been ever so kind and went above and beyond the call of duty to try and help. This pharmacist sorted out the prescription paperwork with Monklands and also called the dermatology day unit to make me an appointment.

So, yesterday, there was light at the end of the seemly never ending itchy tunnel.  I was to have the injections that could maybe in time help stop the CIU.  I had called on Friday, just to double check my appointment date and time and was greeted by the nurse who given the appointment to the pharmacist, who informed me it was 11:30 on Tuesday.  I got to the car park 11:20, parked 11:27 - it was extremely busy but I still had to go pick up my meds from pharmacy who took a while to give it to me so I didn’t get up to the dermatology day unit until almost 11:40.  I told the desk who I was and they told me where to go.  I asked if I could use the bathroom then went through and waited.

 It was almost 11:50 by the time the nurse came along and asked who I was.  When I explained, they seemed surprised I was there for injections, and told me that appointments for these type injections were 9am and 1pm.  I said I had been given 11:30 to which the reply was “well it is ten to twelve”.  I explained about the car park, having to pick up the prescription but also that I was having a Fibromyalgia flare up so was very sore so had gone as fast as I could.  I missed out that I was waiting to come along because I assumed it was known I was at the toilet after checking in.

This nurse again told me appointments were 9&1 and that 11:30 is not suitable because it interrupts their lunch times.  As I have to wait two hours after my injections In case of a reaction there would be no one to watch me.  I now explained that I would not be able to make these times, I have children who are of school age and I live far away from the hospital, my husband works away and it is myself alone who picks them up.  We have no support system there.  The answer to that was was maybe I should go somewhere that does other times.  

Lets note- I have still not been taken through to get my injections but we are still having this discussion in front of other patients about my treatment. What happened to patient confidentiality?

I asked to speak to the doctor, the nurse came back and said that the doctor had said I could go to Monklands any day and get this procedure done.  Again I asked to speak to them.  I was taken to the room, asked to sit down (I declined but was told if I wanted to discuss the matter I was to sit) and then asked what the matter was. 

Again, still no one has offered to actually give me the treatment that I was there for.

I explained that after the whole mess made by Monklands, I was stressed about getting this done and this all wasn’t helping.  When discussing all this, the doctor was very quick to remark that no error had been made initially by the referring Doctor.  However when I tried to talk about all that had happened the doctor no longer wanted to discuss the matter.  I was told I could get the injections but I would have to wait two hours (I explained I knew this already) but it wasn’t actually an appointment time and it was indeed lunch time.  Again with the lunchtime.

The doctor told me that pharmacist do not make appointments and for some reason, when I asked them to call the person and clarify all this, they did not seem willing.  All they said was that this person was new and didn’t know better!  The Pharmacist was actually cleaning up the mess that the doctor had made in the first place, the nurse who made that appointment, to my knowledge, wasn’t new either! Even when I explained that I had called on the Friday to check they seemed to think I had just rolled up when I liked.  When I got upset and tearful about it all I was told it was nothing to be upset about! SERIOUSLY!

 

I had been waiting years for the opportunity for something to come along to give me the hope of normality.  Of being able to come off all the tablets and creams.  I had also not slept the night before because I was stressed about the reactions that I could take from the medication.  I have had emergency heart surgery so of course all that was playing on my mind.  I had come in to the hospital expecting to have treatment, wait two hours and all going well, go to pick my children up from school.  Instead I was met with a nurse who seemed more concerned that lunch break was going to be disturbed.  I was made to feel like an inconvenience from the moment I opened my mouth.

What really upsets me is when someone is one way but put in front of someone their senior their story appears to change.  This is what happened here! It want from - “the appointment times are 9 and 1” to “ the appointment times start at 9 and 1”.  If this was the case, 11:30 would have been just grand but still I had NOT been given the injections.  So I left the  room crying, leaving my prescription, hopes and faith behind.

 

I spoke with the Pharmacist afterwards who Is a kind, thoughtful, genuine member of staff.  They are a credit to your hospital and deserve to be recognised for being so.

As for the nurse, when I got to my daughters school to pick her up I noticed there was a voice mail on my mobile.  It was from 09:01 and said “This is a message for ............, this is the dermatology day unit and I was wondering if you could call me regarding your injections later on this morning”.  I don’t think they were surprised to see me at all after leaving that message.  I believe they knew I was coming in at 11:30 and I don’t think they had any intention of giving me those injections.  

I have not put names, even though I know full well everyone involved.  They know who they are.  They have made me lose all faith in the NHS all together.  If this is the level of care I should expect, that lunchtime comes before patients care, I would rather not bother.  It is not a patients fault that the car park is ridiculously over populated.  Patients also should not be expected to run about picking up medication either.  

I left the car park at 12:48, an hour after the charge nurse first spoke to me. What a waste of everyone’s time.  I didn’t get my treatment but I bet the nurse got lunch!