"Discharged untreated and uncared for because of complaint"

I was admitted to Nottingham City Hospital (part of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) by my GP to an endocrinology ward because of her concerns about my hypoglycaemia (I am not diabetic which makes this unusual and complicated). The consultant's registrar agreed that it was appropriate to admit me for tests. Little was done until I saw the consultant at the end of June. She told me that I needed a 3 day glucose monitor and she would arrange that. She would see me to discuss the results as soon as they were available. She ordered me not to drive. She also said that she would refer me to her specialist dietician for advice.

I had the three day glucose test but the diabetes sister who inserted the probe and explained how to use the meter questioned why I was having it as she thought it wasn’t suitable for hypoglycaemia. I got sent the results and afterwards I had a telephone call from the consultant's secretary to say that I was being discharged and a letter was on its way to me. I asked what the letter said and it made no mention of driving. I said that I needed to see the consultant and so an appointment was made for the end of September.

I complained to the trust that this was wrong: I think I should never have been told by her that she was discharging me without discussing the driving at the very least. I also believe that she had completely misused the results from the 3 day monitor - and that is from the manufacturer's own instructions for it! In fact, I think that a lot of what she had said about the accuracy of the finger stick blood glucose monitors was entirely wrong and I added that to my complaint as she'd said, because of her mis-reading of the results, that I don't have hypoglycaemia.

I asked the hospital to transfer me to another consultant for a second opinion since I felt she had made such a mess of things. I was firmly told by the clinical director for that department that I had to see her to give her an opportunity to discuss my care and explain herself. I agreed to do this.

I got a letter from the trust's complaints department assuring me that my care and treatment would not be affected by my complaint in the same day that i also received a letter informing me that the appointment was cancelled, and I was to go back to my GP to be referred to a new consultant and wait weeks for all that to be done! This seems in complete defiance of the trust's own policy and the Standards for Better Health which the trust must obey. I have been discharged, not treated and not properly diagnosed, which I believe was simply because I complained. I think that the trust secretary, who wrote me that letter, was too cowardly to speak to me and refused to return my calls asking for an explanation of why the trust is breeching its own polices.

I am simply disgusted at the way Nottingham University Hospitals Trust is treating me. I believe that the trust's treatment of me has been nothing less than third rate and it should be ashamed of itself for the lack of care.