"Distressed, angry and confused"

I recently had a particularly unpleasant experience at my GP Practice when I attended for my cervical screening test.

I have emailed my complaint to the Practice Manager of Sydenham Green Group Practice twice but have not received any responses to date.

I have been a patient at Sydenham Green Group Practice for years and have never had any issues or made any complaints until now. In recent months, I have experienced highly stressful and unpleasant encounters with some of the staff at the Sydenham Green Group Practice.

My recent visit with the nurse was dreadful. I arrived on time and checked in. It turned out that while I was waiting, my nurse ate into my appointment time by stopping to have a lengthy casual chat with one of her colleagues.

Having had a unfruitful and frustrating conversation with one of the receptionists, the nurse could see that I was not ok. I told them that I was unhappy and frustrated with the care and treatment I had been getting from the practice recently. They appeared to be sympathetic and then assumed a position as if they were going to commence my appointment. I was getting myself ready when the nurse turned to me and told me not to be rude to them.

I was taken aback by their remark because all I had done was let them know why I was frustrated since they had asked. The nurse accused me of being rude, having an attitude and taking it out on them. I most certainly did not and was not. I tried to tell them that but they just kept talking over me. Not being able to think, I drowned their words out with the silence in my head. Then the nurse said they would not see me if I continued to have an attitude. I was bewildered. So I picked up my bag and walked out. As I was walking away, the nurse called out after me stating that I could take 5 minutes to calm down and come back in if I wanted to. What a joke. Did they really expect me to let them perform a smear test on me after that deplorable barrage of accusations.

I have a hidden disability and because I am vulnerable at the best of times, I try my hardest to avoid stress at all costs. Distressed, angry and confused, I left the GP practice feeling far worse off than when I had arrived. My symptoms flared up for several days after and my medical needs were not met.