"Not treated with dignity and respect"

There was some lovely staff on shift and I understand the lack of staff and the unprecedented level of need, so on a whole most of the care I can understand. I spent 10 hours before being discharged to a ward, no paracetamol given despite my severe headache and spiking of temperature. I was confirmed with Viral Meningitis after a lumbar puncture the following day. So I was feeling very unwell. 

We never once saw a doctor though to make a plan of care or know what they thought. I was taken for a CT scan some time in and had no idea it was planned or the result after. 

The bit that has impacted me most was the brief interaction with a doctor after the nursing staff being unable to take my blood. I do have difficult veins and the level of dehydration didn’t help. In the past 10+ years ago I suffered badly with my mental health and spent a lot of time in hospital. I sadly believe this has some impact or else I am unsure of the reasoning behind the doctor's manner. My husband was extremely taken aback also.

The doctor walked in with a brief introduction of their name, asked me what my medical history was, I told them I have bipolar and have taken lithium for 15 years. The doctor then walked over to me and getting hold of my arm just said they cannot find a vein. Then straight away looked at me and asked if I am an IV user. I looked at the doctor in disbelief, to which they said they need to know. I was very unwell and tried to keep my self together. I felt vulnerable and upset and quite degraded.

I explained briefly I had been in ITU after aspiration pneumonia many years ago and my veins had not ever recovered. The doctor then continued, with not a word of what they were doing, to wrap a tight glove round my arms and complete what I saw after as an arterial blood sample. Not explaining or saying a thing. They then turned to my husband and told him to put on a glove and hold that with pressure for ten minutes. They then abruptly left the room with no other words.

I have spent ten years since recovery working in mental health services, and how the doctor treated me in my opinion goes against all values of treating people with dignity and respect and being involved in their care. I felt embarrassed and ashamed, and why should I? I do not believe there is any need to not even show the basics of care and discussion, and to jump from difficult venapuncture to instantly asking someone if they are a user? I have had difficult veins for many years and that hasn’t been asked of me and in the manner it was.

I was then left in the room for several more hours with no update or information, to be moved to a ward and a lumbar puncture later that day. I was given the results of the CT scan and taken good care of by the doctors on the ward.