"A rather traumatic experience!"

I visited the urgent care unit on 26/01/16 around 5pm. This wasn't my first choice being that i had flu like symptoms but i had tried without success in getting an appointment at my local GP in Mablethorpe for many days and after feeling unwell for 6 days i gave in and rang 111 who took my details and told me to go to the urgent care unit. I am a very nervous patient, terrified of hospitals so my mother came with me. Which i am glad about now as she was able to witness the rude and uncaring doctor who came to look at me.

The nurse i had at first was lovely, made me feel relaxed as they took my details etc, but the doctor came in whose first words were "You realise we charge extra for GP matters?". They then proceeded to "tell me off" (please bare in mind i am 26 years old) regarding wasting their time with something my GP should be handling, that i should have waited as long as it took to be seen at the Mablethorpe surgery, that if there was a patient who came in with a more severe injury then they would be out of here without hesitation. I was near to tears by this point, i would never waste a Doctor's time like was suggested i was, and they hadn't even let me explain like i had to the nurse/care assistant who had seen me before that i was TOLD to come here.

As if this wasn't bad enough, when they did let me speak I was asked what i did for a living to which i replied "community support worker" and then asked me if i thought it was wise to subject my clients to what ever was making me ill. This doctor had assumed rather than thought to ask me nicely, that i had gone into work with the flu!! I said no that i had been off since last Thursday with this. I felt belittled, that i was not given respect or dignity that i deserved. I was being spoken to as if i was a child and told off for things that was out of my control. It was absolutely out of order the way in which I was spoken too. They did a further examination and proceeded to tell me that i had an infection of the gums that was causing the flu like symptoms and that i should get to a dentist asap to have it sorted. I was told to put my shirt on, given a prescription for antibiotics and left alone in the room. I left in a hurry with my mother and it took me a long while to calm down in the car before she could drive off.

The nurse/care assistant that was with us the whole time the doctor was there even looked embarrassed at how the doctor was talking to me. They tried their best to make it comfortable for me, offering me a gown to wear when the doctor told me to get my top off and sit on the table, reassuring me when the doctor examined my throat. However the doctor was just appalling. I understand the frustration the doctors and nurses must face when people with less than life threatening symptoms come into the urgent care unit, that it takes time off of them treating people who need it more than i did but this was a horrible way to treat someone. A very traumatic night!