To walk out the hospital before seeing the consultant

[StripeyBroomstickSpottyWand]

My appt was at 3:15pm so got my mum to pick up dd from school. Appt was to discuss the results of my mammogram from 2 weeks ago.

It got to 4:00pm and I'm still in the waiting room. Now I know the nhs often runs late, etc through no fault of their own. But they have a notice saying if you will be more than 30mins late we will come and tell you so I was pissed off noone had. I went and asked the receptionist if it would be much longer and she said I was next.

5 mins later I was called into a room, told to strip my top things off and sit there. The nurse left and said she'd be back "in a minute" with the consultant. 15mins later she hadn't come back. I got dressed and left.

I guess I was a bit stressed by the whole experience of been called back. I was very pissed off about sitting by myself half naked in a room and none came back to tell me what was happening. I was also stressed about getting home and giving dd her tea so she could go to Beavers tonight. I wouldn't mind waiting so muc if they communicated a bit better.

I think it is usual to be asked to undress while waiting. In fact, I saw the breast nurse before the doctor and she left the room to let me take my clothes off, even though it was her who would be examining me first. Well, her and the medical student who gamely tried to hide his disappointment that he hadn't seen anything interesting all day...

Being kept informed of delays is only courteous though.

I hope that when you get them, your results are just as disappointing to any eager medical students as mine were

Spidermama,

My point is this: If your loved one was critically ill and his/her nurse walked away from him to politely explain to her 15 other patients (one at a time and very politely) that their care was going to be delayed, you would really be infuriated. Especially if your loved one died as a result.

It doesn't mean that the other 15 patients aren't important. But you don't kill one person to make another who is less ill feel like a valued customer.

The first thing they teach nurses is how to
prioritize. Breathing problems first to the exclusion of all else. Then cardiac problems get dealt with, then pain. Then everything else. You don't even think about the everything else until you have dealt with the first things on that list. Duh.

I do understand that the OP was talking about an OP appointment and things aren't so acute down there.

But just because you have something horrible going on doesn't mean that your nurse's other patient doesn't have something worse going on. She will feel for you but take care of the worst patient first to the exlusion of everything else. She would do the same thing for you if you were in a bad way.

That does not imply that she doesn't understand or care that you are suffering. But many people take it that way.

I have had too many years of hearing people complain that their sore toe wasn't being seen too fast enough while I was in the next bay with a dying baby/hysterical parents.

And just to add I still don't get why the OP wasn't given a gown to put on just to cover up with while she was waiting. They should keep stuff like that in each room for exams of that nature.

I once walked out of a&e in similar circs. I had been waiting for 3 and a half hours, with 2 small children and I was pregnant. None of us had had any lunch, because we were very poor at the time, and couldnt afford the automatic machines, and we hadn't expected to be there for so long. When I finally complained, the staff said I would be next on the list, I waited for 15 more minutes and then left.
Fortunately, ds turned out to be OK in the end.

I'd have gone back to reception to ask them to page the consultant.... but it's easy to be wise in hindsight.

The thing about sitting there topless is disgusting - there is no call for that whatever is happening in the next cubicle or ward. It doesn't take 20 seconds to give someone a gown to wear whilst waiting for an exam or have them change when the consultant turns up. Doctors and nurses may have "seen it all before" but they haven't always seen yours - besides which, anyone could have walked in.

I wouldnt have left without finding out why they wanted to see me, but I entirely understand. After I had DD2 they where concerned about retained placenta and I had an internal scan, half way through the doctor/radiographer?? not sure who does these things... Said I need to speak to my colleague and left the scanner inside me and left the room (btw the door was opposite my feet so entirely exposed!) she didnt come back for over 15min, if I could have figured out a way to leave I would have done!

I felt so scared and exposed and they hadn't let my DH come in with me, so was on my own, they lock the doors so people cant walk in, but because she had left the door was unlocked, so anyone could have just walked in on me.

Fortunately someone did eventually come back, I just wanted to get out of there by that time so didnt complain

Like anywhere else you can always come up with examples of good and bad practice. Sadly things only change in the NHS once complaints reach a certain level - there are no rewards (certainly as far as the staff at ground level are concerned) for working, harder, faster, or better. At some point, something bad happens, and then you get extra staff or resources.

Stripey, I would advise writing a letter to the Trust involved stating your concerns. Even if it is simply logged and you get a standard letter back, it could be the last letter needed to trigger them hiring an extra member of staff in breastcare, for all you know. They may also investigate - and you may get an explanation for what happened, which would be good.

This is the only area in our lives where most of us expect to receive poor service - you shouldn't have to go to a clinic and expect that you might have to wait 2 hours to be seen, should you, but we do.

Sorry this is turning into a bit of a general NHS rant

One other thing, if they were going to give you bad news, you probably would have heard from them by now

The thing is Spidermama - we are patients, not customers.
Don't forget, we don't pay to see a doctor/nurse/consultant on the NHS.

I am Dutch. In Holland, medical care is means tested. That means, poor people pay pittance, better off peopel pay more. My parents pay around the equivalent of £300 PER MONTH into the Dutch health service. That is NOT private health care. My parents have to wait to see a doctor/nurse just as long as the poorer person paying £10 per month. The Dutch see that as fair. I agree.

You don't know how lucky you are to have the NHS. Yes it has its faults, of course it does. It is being mis-managed at top levels, as a result the nurses/doctors are rushed off their feet.
Both my SIL and my MIL are NHS nurses. MIL does the OP clinics. She never ever gets a break apart from a very short lunch break. She tells me the nursers do not keep patients waiting because they are too busy gossiping/drinking tea. The later the clinic finishes, the later the staff get to go home, so it is in their best interest to keep things moving.

Instead of moaning about it, and lamenting about behaving like customers, put up with it as much as possible and be nice to the nurses. Heaven knows they could do with a friendly face!

I disagree, we do pay for the NHS, through our taxes and National Insurance contributions.

The sore toe vs cardiac arrest analogy doesn't work here. This was presumably an outpatient breast clinic. Not many life or eath emergencies. I understand about the terminal diagnosis bit, I do, but at the clinic I attended there were admin people who checked me in. Surely they should be able to keep tabs on who is where and just apologise for the delay to people kept waiting in really almost unbearable tension. Well, that's how it felt for me anyway. Not like a sore toe.

Yes, but tax and NI contributions is a minor payment isn't it - compared to what you would pay in other countries.

Sometimes you just have to wait.

I'd have waited as the time to go home & then back for another appointment would be more than just actually sitting there until my turn.

rubbish hippi!!

Sorry have only read first couple of posts, just wanted to say a couple of things, firstly the NHS at the moment is trying very hard to address privacy and dignity for patients but it quite clearly hasn't addressed your privacy and dignity which is unacceptable. You should have been allowed to stay in your clothes or at least given a gown to put on. I'm not sure it was the right thing to do to walk out because if you think about it logically that makes the wait even longer for everyone as time would have been spent looking for you, calling for you again but I cna understand your upset paticularly at such a stressful time. The NHS is under immense pressure and I do think we have to remember it is a free service. What bothers me is the NHS promises things it can't deliver. I really hope you get sorted out soon, I would write a formal complaint to the Chief Exec about the lack of privacy and information as I'm sure he would be very interested and if you don't feedback to the hospital they won't know you're unhappy.

have just recieved this from my dad which in the circumstances is very apt
These may raise a smile or two........

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.

Both subsequently died in the ambulance and the PCT set up an enquiry, which came to the following conclusions:

1. The 50 mile journey to the nearest casualty department was in the couples' best interests.

2. The fact that there was no local bed in which Jack could mend his head was unfortunate but no targets had been breached and he had been offered a choice.

3. The lack of vinegar and brown paper was not material to the man's death as NICE had not yet decided whether it was cost-effective and in any case both the brown paper nurse and the vinegar nurse were away on courses.

4. The GP was most to blame and should be suspended and referred to the GMC as he had:

a. Not reported Jack and Jill's lack of water to social services;

b. Failed to recognise that anyone going UP the hill to fetch a pail of water must be seriously demented;

c. Had not involved the Falls Coordinator which resulted in Jill tumbling after Jack.

Dr Foster went to Gloucester in a shower of rain He stepped in a puddle right up to his middle and never went there again. This also resulted in major public debate.

The Press said it was outrageous that - given the fact that doctors were paid around half a million pounds for a 30 hour week - Dr. Foster should be put off by a mere soaking.

The politicians wanted to know why any doctors were going to Gloucester in the first place as it was an over-doctored middle class area unlikely to vote Labour at the next election.

The RCN said doctors weren't needed as nurses could do their job just as well, they were holistically trained and would have no problem with puddles as they could also walk on water.

The local nurse practitioners agreed that they would of course go to Gloucester after doing the appropriate course.

The Social workers said that no one had considered how the puddle might feel about being trodden into.

The managers decided to do a piece of work around rain and puddles.

The next time there was a problem in Gloucester it coincided with a large multidisciplinary stake holder conference and no one was available so NHS Direct advised calling the GP.

Once upon a time it was resolved to have a boat race between a BUPA team and a team representing the N.H.S. Both teams practised long and hard to reach their peak performance. On the big day they were as ready as they could be.

The BUPA team won by a mile.

Afterwards the N.H.S. team became very discouraged by the result and morale sagged. Senior management decided that the reason for the crushing defeat had to be found, and a working party was set up to investigate the problem and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was that the BUPA team had eight people rowing and one person steering, whereas the N.H.S. team had eight people steering and one person rowing.

Senior management immediately hired a consultancy company to do a study on the team's structure. Thousands of pounds and several months later they concluded that: "Too many people were steering and not enough rowing."

To prevent losing to BUPA the next year, the team structure was changed to three "Assistant Steering Managers", three "Steering Managers", one "Executive Steering Manager" and a "Director of Steering Services". A performance and appraisal system was set up to give the person rowing the boat more incentive to work harder.

The next year BUPA won by two miles.

Following this, the N.H.S. laid off the rower for poor performance, sold off all the paddles, cancelled all capital investment in new equipment, and halted development of a new canoe. The money saved was used to fund higher than average pay awards to senior management.

Hippi, Having come from a country where health care is indirectly means tested (Aus) I find the system of the NHS trying to cater to everyone to be ridiculous. I would much rather there was a decent range of private health insurance available (I paid about £30 per month in Aus and that covered pretty much everything from private GPs to private maternity care) rather than burdening a system that should IMO only be there to look after those that simply can't pay anything.
examples like the OPs are evidence that it is simply not workable.
In Aus, if you earn over a certain amount there are tax implications if you don't take out private health insurance, so about 40% of the population are privately insured - this makes private health insurance cheaper. The government still subsidises your health care (regardless of whether you use private or public) but because so many people don't rely on the public system it is less over run. I'm not saying it's perfect, but to say that patients shouldn't complain about poor service beacuse the system is overrun is crazy. People should complain loud and clear.

Sorry to address that all to you Hippi - it was more of a generalised rant!

It's ok, I can see where people are coming from. But having lived in Holland and Germany, and paying heavily for healthcare there, I don't think the NHS is doing too badly. At the end of the day, I have had positive experiences with the NHS on all 4 occasions I had to go to the breast clinic. The nurses go above and beyond trying to comfort you, help you, make you feel at ease. And the stories my SIL and MIL tell me about their day makes me want to applaud those nurses who do their best for a largely ungrateful public.
I do agree the OP should not have been made to wait topless, but do not agree to her walking out.
I won't dignify Maisy with a response as I am not sure which bit of my post 'rubbish' was directed at. Not exactly conducive to a good discussion.

I am going to bow out now, I have said my bit, personally I have only ever found the NHS to be good. (and my local hospital was one of the named and shamed ones )

To OP: Please rearrange this appointment asap. Without meaning to alarm you, there must be a reason they've called you back. It could be something as innocent as we've seen something that we're not sure what it is and we want to keep an eye on it so are going to recall you for another mammogram in x months, or it could be something else. You need to find out.

My experience is that you need to be responsible for your own care - the medical professionals are so overstretched, they don't have time to be responsible for you, so there is no guarantee that they will contact you again.

My experience of breast cancer tells me that if it is the worst possible news, it's better to get it early rather than later.

Phone today!

I totally agree with you hippi that the NHS generally does very well, and that we are fortunate to have it. I lived in the US for a year and really resented having to pay over $100 per month for my prescriptions because my insurance wouldn't cover a pre-existing condition. The NHS has been invaluable to me with my shopping list of illnesses, so I wasn't disagreeing that they do a good job and we're fortunate to have them, simply disagreeing with your statement that we don't pay anything to see a doctor. I know it's arguably a minimal amount, but nonetheless, we do pay, and have a right to expect certain levels of service. Personally I have always found the level of service more than adequate, with the exception of my post-natal ward, but I do think people need to complain when things aren't acceptable to them, otherwise nothing will improve.

I do sympathise with you, horrible, humiliating way to be treated. Sometimes professionals just don't think about it from the patient's POV and realise when something that is routine day to day practice for them is actually terribly upsetting to the person on the receiving end.

I've been treated badly by doctors who just don't think or care about the way they communicate. I doubt they were deliberately trying to be cruel, just completely thoughtless. And it's hard when you are in that vulnerable situation to take charge and do all the rational, reasonable stuff - running away is a very human reaction.

Agree with lalaa, though, you do need to rearrange the appointment ASAP. Maybe next time be very clear with receptionists and nurses that you'd like to be kept informed of waiting times and you aren't undressing until the consultant arrives? Can you take someone with you for support (sending them out of the room for the undressing bit if you prefer)?

(Poptot, loved jack and jill, btw, have sent to various docs of my acquaintance!)

Me too! Have sent it to colleagues x

not a comment on the OP or how good or not the NHS is but on the assertion that we pay hardly anything for the health service. We (or companies) pay for all of the health service - it a public body. There isn't a magic fairy who makes money specially to give to hospitals! National insurance is not to fund the health service - its just another tax which once upon a time was conceived to provide a basic level of healthcare for all. The govt doesn't add up all your NI contributions and share it out amongst various hospitals and GP's etc. The amount the NHS costs bears no relation to individual NI contributions.

Just thought I'd get that off my chest... phew.