"The doctor I saw had empathy for ..."

What I liked

The doctor I saw had empathy for the position I had experiecned and didnt ignore me when I said I was unhappy with the nursing care.

What could be improved

I vistied BAGH about three or four weeks ago in the eye department, I was seen by a nurse/or care assistant who did an eye sight test, and I ask her why I did not have drops put in my eyes, she said she would check with the Doctor. Over two hours later I was taken to see the Doctor, who said she couldn't examine my eyes because drops had not been given and I would have to wait for another 20 to 30 minutes, I was very unhappy after being kept waiting for over two hours to find the nurse had not bothered to check with her about the drops. I asked to speak to the sister, and a staff nurse arrived who said sorry, she didnt even give me her name.

Last Wednesday I was told I needed to go to Darlington on ward 23 eye department. My appointment was for 10am, I was seen by a nurse who turned out to be the sister, and given drops and told to go further down the ward as I needed photographs taken.

I then returned to the main waiting area and infromed the sister I was back and asked if she would check if I needed to wait or that I could go home. She said she would check, about two hours later I was asked to go and see the doctor who said I would be sent another appointement as I needed laser treatment. I asked why I had been kept waiting, the doctor explained she had many more patients to see than she could possibly see in the alotted time and no one from the nursing staff had ask if I need to wait.

I am a wheelchair user, holding down a job with many other medical problems, why couldn;t I be told that I could go and not have to wait. There was at least one sister and three other nuirses on the ward, who spent most of their time walking around. I believe it is the policy of the trust if patients are kept waiting for longer that 30mins someone is supposed to explain the delay and put up revised waiting times.

Amongst other things I have a hospital phobia which once again was totaly ignored. Patients are not treated very well on outpatient wards. A review is needed

Anything else?

I am totally exasperated with the standard of service, peope are treat like cattle, one patien who seemed to know one of the nursing staff successfully managed to get in and be seen by the doctor out of turn.

#there is no point to the appointment structure if people with appointment for 10am arte see after people are seen with appointments for 11 am or after. I was not an isolated case, others on the ward were complaining. No one can doubt emergency cases have to be seen but all the people seen before me and others were not emergencies.