"Uncaring Doctor"

I am writing this on behalf of my sick Dad. He phoned me on Friday night (mid June 2014) saying he couldn’t move and that he was going to A&E. After rushing to my Dad’s house to be there for him, he refused an ambulance and was determined he was going to walk to the hospital, which took us double the time it should have done due to the pain he was in, finally arriving at 10pm.

When we got to A&E, we were waiting nearly 2 hours just to see the triage nurse, to be out of the room 2 minutes later, then have another 2 hour wait for my Dad’s observations to be done. As my Dad was in pain, he kept asking reception beforehand for someone to give him something for the pain as it was worsening; after reading notices saying “if you are feeling worse, please see reception. ” So when my Dad was finally having his observations done, he asked for some medication, which thankfully he did receive.

Then, we had to wait for another hour or so to see the doctor, where I am appalled at the doctor’s unprofessionalism. My Dad was seen by a doctor who kept cutting my Dad up when he was explaining his symptoms and medical conditions to a professional who he thought could help him! My Dad was rambling on but the way they showed no interest and was pulling faces to his descriptions is not acceptable in my book.

My Dad is currently suffering from a range of conditions, and has to be careful with what medication he can have, so he showed the doctor a list of his tablets and some previous letters he has received which was explaining some of his illnesses and what was going to be happening in the near future. After the doctor went and looked at something on the computer, they then came back over and said “you have been to the hospital near enough every week this month, why? ”

My Dad was sent to the SAU - Kingsfisher Ward a few weeks before after suffering the same pain from having 4 polyps’ removed, and they told my Dad to go back to the hospital if he was suffering the same pain again, which is what my Dad did this weekend. When my Dad explained that he cannot eat in response to the doctor’s question asking if he eats, they gave him grief when he said he can manage about 2-3 mouthfuls then is full up. If he cannot eat, he cannot eat!

Before the doctor sent us on our way, after speaking to my Dad horrifically, they told my Dad not to come back to the hospital anymore, but then as my Dad was leaving they turned around and said “if you’re in agony, then come back and see us. ” – What does that actually mean? One minute they are saying don’t come back to the hospital, then saying come back if you’re in agony, which was the whole reason we had sat up the hospital for hours!

The service we received was disgusting, and un-professional which sick people do not deserve.