"Awful experience"

GP referred my granddaughter to the Cardiology Outpatients department for an ECG at Edinburgh Sick Children’s Hospital.

Granddaughter was distressed and worried, so the whole journey into hospital was based around reassuring her that her heart was ok.

On arrival we were met by a lovely volunteer who took us to the reception where an equally nice receptionist advised us to sit in the orange seating area and that someone would collect us shortly.

After a few minutes a member of staff from the Cardiology department met us, and it felt like herded us into the consultation room. I explained the situation to them, GP referral etc to be told very bluntly that there was nothing wrong with her heart and to throw those stupid pharmacy BP machines away. This was in front of a visibly upset 9 year old. It took them longer to put the probes on my granddaughter than it did to do the actual ECG, all the while talking over both myself and my worried granddaughter so much so I apologised to them as they made me feel as if I was wasting their time and reminded them that our GP had referred her and that we hadn’t just arrived. I reminded them that there was a scared and worried 9 year old in the room and got what I considered an insincere apology. 

It felt as if we were literally thrown out after the 2 minute ECG to find our own way outside, so I decided enough was enough and requested if I could make a formal complaint. I spoke with a senior member of staff, who was lovely and very supportive, however wasn’t the person that we needed to speak with, so I requested that they let us speak with the manager of this member of staff.  

Instead of this however, the member of staff who carried out the test came out and approached me in the public atrium asking me not to make a complaint  - not an apology, nothing other than worried for themself in my opinion. After I asked them if they had reflected on their behaviour, and if they were ever going to apologise, they did by saying they wouldn't  do it again. I was absolutely so taken aback by this as I felt they were very obviously trying to manipulate me into not formally complaining and also suggested to me that they may have been reported before? This made me ask to speak to a senior manager, who sadly was in a meeting, however it was arranged that my granddaughter and I would go for an early lunch and return later that day.

We duly returned and met with another senior member of staff who listened and was very empathetic, they apologised for the experience we had had and gave me this platform to report on, and also assured me that they would pass on our unprofessional and terrible experience to the staff member's direct manager.

At a time where the NHS ask for people to treat them with dignity and compassion I think it’s only fair that the staff treat patients with the same dignity and compassion. 

I’m honestly so saddened by this whole episode, as my granddaughters experience was traumatic enough without this adding to her fear/s.