"Upset by surly staff at Lancaster's Clinical Investigations Unit"

When I attended Lancaster Hospital's Clinical Investigations Unit to undergo a treadmill ECG test I wasn't treated with anything like dignity...in fact I am still reeling from the experience.

The staff who worked there seemed in such a surly malaise I was taken aback. No one explained what was going to happen...no one said their name or introduced themselves and they chatted amongst themselves totally ignoring me despite my attempts at polite interaction. A disclaimer form was then thrust at me by a staff member saying "You may have a heart attack during this procedure, sign this disclaimer". I didn't even know her name.

The other person, who seemed to struggle to use the relatively simple ECG machine, wouldn't even look at me throughout the whole appointment. The test I was to undergo was to see how my heart performed under the duress of exercise. The test began.

When I had to stop walking fast through being exhausted the nurse said some derisory comment about “huh! we needed you to go for longer so we could get a full set of results”. I had got to the third level of speed after 5-6 mins of walking fast uphill and was pooped out for sure, so his comments were just downright rude.

I am an affable, polite, tolerant and cheerful person but my experience with the staff at the clinical investigations unit has left me shocked. I left their unit feeling totally let down and upset. On a further note I have not heard anything regarding my ECG test results over a month later which I now have to chase up due to my local Doctor’s saying I’d have to contact the hospital myself.

I’d rate the service received as “Rubbish”. In fact I am very angry indeed about it.