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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have expected to see someone with some medical training?

29 replies

GuybrushThreepwoodMP · 06/12/2013 22:32

This happened a while ago but in a conversation about a&e I suddenly remembered it.
When I was six weeks pregnant I experienced one sided pain and sharp pain in my shoulder. Having furiously googled for a couple of hours, I became terribly afraid that my pregnancy was ectopic so I popped straight off to the nearest walk in centre who immediately sent me, with a referral letter, to a&e.
Once there, I described my symptoms and hanged over my letter. A few minutes later an administrator asked to see me and wanted to know why I was there.
"I'm pregnant, I have pain at one side and shoulder pain. It could be ectopic."
"You have shoulder pain?"
"Yes."
"Have you injured yourself?"
"No, but..."
"Well what's it got to do with being pregnant?"
"It could be an ectopic pregnancy."
"Have you had any problems with your pregnancy?"
"No but..."
"Well you shouldn't have come to a&e with two completely separate problems because it's not an emergency."
AIBU or would it be fair to nor have to answer the idiotic questions of someone with absolutely no medical knowledge?!
I had totally forgotten about this but I'm in the process of complaining about the treatment I had in this hospital after giving birth so I'm wondering if I should add this to the complaint...

OP posts:
bigbrick · 06/12/2013 22:34

You needed to see a doctor not an administrator. I'd put it in a complaint

hiddenhome · 06/12/2013 22:34

Have you seen the movie 'Idiocracy'?

Well, this is what we're moving towards.

Original poster
GuybrushThreepwoodMP · 06/12/2013 22:37

I should clarify that I did eventually see a doctor and get scanned etc- but I had to battle with that woman first and really insist.

OP posts:
JinglingRexManningDay · 06/12/2013 22:37

You were right and pain in the shoulder and on one side are symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy. I would put in a complaint.

recall · 06/12/2013 22:38

You are right to add it to your complaint

recall · 06/12/2013 22:38

You are right to add it to your complaint

fuckwittery · 06/12/2013 22:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Musicaltheatremum · 06/12/2013 22:40

We should be asking these jobsworths where they got their medical degrees/nursing degrees from.

Norudeshitrequired · 06/12/2013 22:40

Was it an ectopic pregnancy? What did the scan show?

pianodoodle · 06/12/2013 22:43

Absolutely add that to your complaint.

It's scary to think someone so stupid would get to decide whether or not you need to see a doctor.

Surely medical knowledge or not they had a referral letter in front of them?!

littlebillie · 06/12/2013 22:49

We always have to explain why we are booking a doctors appointment, I know it is their way to be helpful, however if your are sane and believe you need to have medical treatment you shouldn't have to qualify it to a receptionist.

Roshbegosh · 06/12/2013 22:50

An administrator! That is outrageous and definitely deserves a complaint, and I don't say that very often. She should have a severe talking to for stepping way beyond her knowledge, the arrogance is unforgivable. Complain, I hope you have her name.

YouSayWhaaat · 06/12/2013 22:54

If this is true (and I am not saying I doubt you), it is totally and completely outrageous.

If you had had an ectopic and had shoulder tip pain, it could have been an indication it had ruptured. This is a life threatening condition.

This person needs rapid retraining or their P45.

Original poster
GuybrushThreepwoodMP · 06/12/2013 22:57

It was all fine, thanks for asking- we saw a teeny tiny heartbeat on the scan and she's now a year old! But it could have been with those symptoms and therefore she tried to send someone away with potentially life threatening symptoms simply because she wasn't aware of any link. Why was she even asked to have an opinion?.Maybe it's a bit late to complain but as I'm making a complaint anyway, I guess it's worth mentioning.

OP posts:
TheCrackFox · 06/12/2013 22:59

I too think you should complain

She sounds like a bloody liability.

Roshbegosh · 06/12/2013 23:20

She doesn't need training except to stick to her job and not think she has knowledge when she knows nothing. Just working there and overhearing bits and pieces and then thinking she's an expert.

DoctorDonnaNoble · 07/12/2013 06:33

I used to be an a and e receptionist. I frequently booked in people who I thought didn't need to be there (usually right but that is irrelevant) everyone was seen by a triage nurse. Regardless. With a referral letter you may even have skipped that stage. However, our hospital has an early pregnancy unit so they probably would have sent you there.

EnlightenedOwl · 07/12/2013 09:20

Interesting. You booked in people you thought didn't need to be there? May I ask what your medical qualifications are?

EnlightenedOwl · 07/12/2013 09:22

I mean, sorry, I know you went ahead and did your job but why are you qualified to make any prejudgment about whether they should be there or not?

NurseRoscoe · 07/12/2013 09:24

She was unreasonable to tell you that you shouldn't be there! However I work in admin for the NHS and sometimes we do need to ask a few questions just to pass on to the nurse if doctor to save time. Just a basic idea and all we are meant to do is write them down/enter them in the computer not make any sort of judgement.

plantsitter · 07/12/2013 09:26

Enlightenedowl - the poster was making the point that her (unqualified) opinion was beside the point. She was doing her job properly. You can't object to people HAVING an opinion of they don't act on it.

DoctorDonnaNoble · 07/12/2013 09:26

I wasn't that was my point. You make the judgement on what they say when booking in. There is of course a reason reception/admin don't triage which was the point I was making. We all make judgements on people. The important thing is to not let those judgements affect how you treat people and I don't. I just book them in, even if what they presented at the desk with was clearly not an a and e problem I obviously had no idea of the full story. Hence, triage nurses.

NurseRoscoe · 07/12/2013 09:27

Also whilst I will stress again that admin staff shouldn't be giving medical advice, don't assume they have no medical knowledge it's patronising. I'm a second year student nurse and do admin part time for some extra money, I have more knowledge than some support workers where I work.

HairyPorter · 07/12/2013 09:31

I think as long as you turn up at a&e, you have to be assessed by a medical person? I don't think the receptionist can legally turn you away. She was probably just assessing which department to send you to- out of hours gp or triage.

ZillionChocolate · 07/12/2013 09:43

Enlightened Owl, a receptionist is perfectly entitled to have an opinion based on common sense and their experience of work/life. I've sat in A&E as a (not medically qualified) patient and thought that some people checking in there shouldn't have been there. Neither I nor DoctorDonna were acting on our opinions, so it doesn't matter.

OP I think it might be worth raising, although it would have been better dealt with at the time.

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