Why are all government workers the same? (Bar the odd minority)

[Cel119]

By government workers i mean council, NHS, police, Ambulance.
Last night we had to go to A&E as relative was suffering from stroke symptoms. He didnt want to go alone so i accompanied. As he was being triaged the HCA asked for the blue folder and i handed it and she looked at me like i handed her a shit and said "ooooooo.... kkkkkk". I am type 1 diabetic and as relative was being assessed I started suffering a very bad hypo. I thought i was going to collapse. I think it was the combination of heat and insulin working too quickly. I said "im really sorry, im having a hypo and I need to sit" the HCA said "how do you know?" Considering I have had diabetes more than half my life I knew the symptoms and my sensor had alarmed me. But for some reason this hypo was making me feel really bad. She replied "if you want to be seen you will have to sign in" no compassion, empathy. Just stone cold nasty. I replied "I don't want to be seen i just need to sit" she did the same "oooo... kkkk" the room starting going really bright and I thought I need to get out. So I stumbled out holding the walls. I sat in a chair. The HCA asked a nurse to do my blood glucose(i think because she didnt believe me). The nurse came along grabbed my hand, didnt clean my hand, did blood glucose (from the wrong finger) and shoved my hand back at me then read out the glucose which were low. Then stomped off. I dont even know if she used a clean needle! I just sat and ate my jelly babies thinking please dont collapse as i didnt fancy that infront of a room full of strangers. It just seemed very harsh and cold to treat someone this way. I saw police treating another mental health patient the same. In my past I have had abhorrent behaviour from ambulance crew. Council workers are rude and dismissive of any issues anyone has. It's like the country has reached a massive disparity in power with the average working man being treated like a turd that would be better off dead. Why is everyone in these jobs like this? They don't think reasonably. You could explain a situation that seems completely reasonable and they will find a reason that it's not reasonable. I have had experiences like this time and again.
I have also worked as an qualified NHS worker(dietitian) and worked amongst them and they are some of the most cruel, uncaring and bullying type to work with. Towards patients and colleagues. It's a toxic environment. Full of bullies. Why? What fuels this? In a career where you are meant to care, you get people devoid of any humanity treating people in need. As I said, you get the odd person who clearly went into it because they want to help people, but not often.

So your issue is with a couple of people you encountered at one incident but you state that all services are the same?
surely you would have checked your own glucose levels, so why did you agree to them also checking? and of course they used a clean lancet so suggest otherwise with no proof is a ridiculous accusation.

you had a bad experience but don’t tar everyone with the same brush.

Personally I'm interested in how you can take a BM "from the wrong finger" as one of these workers you are referring to, I'm fully trained to know there is no such thing as a wrong finger!!

Same here

This.

All government employees are not the same.

I wondered about that too.
I know medical science and knowledge evolves but I think the circulatory system is pretty much the same as it always was.
I'm always happy to be educated though.

You are being massively unreasonable to accuse a nurse of using a dirty needle because her method and manner weren't to your liking. Where does an accusation like that even come from?

None of those people are government employees.
They are public sector workers.
Who deals with the public day in, day out. Getting sworn at, and attacked.
When I worked in local government we had no perks. When we did have time for a tea break, we had to provide our own tea, milk and cup. We even bought the kettle. Public Council tax money couldn't be spent on things like that.

Personally I have never come across a medical employee who has been rude or dismissive. But then I have always treated them politely and with respect....

No, they don't. None of the staff are employed by the government. Every police force is a separate employer but falls J set the bracket of the Home Office. Same for every NHS Trust, fire brigade and especially councils - none of their staff are civil service members.

Have you ever considered if may be a you issue?

YANBU I have worked within the NHS I was appalled at the lack of care and bad attitudes of staff and the bulling is off the scale ! I would be thrilled if I worked with another HCA who actually cared and took time with patients . I found most of the nursing staff did minimum hands on, but would find them laughing and joking, eating and drinking tea and mainly hiding in the back office . Yes they have the admin to do, make it last a whole 12 hour shift ! I managed 4 years and I loved working with Patients but had to leave through MH and physical burn out ! I did meet some really good caring health care workers, but they are the minority!
Realised like PP’s these people do the bare minimum for good pay, benefits and pension. Even if you call out bad practice, nothing is done as the ward manager and Matrons don’t want the hassle of the paperwork and to be seen as unproductive. So hence the vicious cycle .

This.

Don’t forget doing so with a dirty needle 🙄🙄

As Taylor sings ‘it’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.’

Compassion fatigue i think.

I've seen it a lot with social workers. They start off trying to move heaven and earth and you watch them slowly deflate and become beaten down and yes some become jaded and cold and the one day you get a call from the new social worker introducing themselves.

Human beings can only take so much.
Is it good? Of course not! But the solution is to have enough people doing the job and better support for those who break. That would be in everyone's best interests

Sounds like a bad experience but lots of generalisations. Hope you and your relative are on the mend

I've worked since 6.40am without a break until now. I ate some soup during a meeting at 2pm. I work a minimum of 7 unpaid hours per week and have worked far more in the past. I put my own money into additional training. I worked through the pandemic, including at the start when I thought I might die. And I read this and it makes me want to cry. I have put so much into the NHS.

If you have a lymph node removed from an armpit, as I did prior to mastectomy, for example, any medical procedures, blood pressure readings, blood samples etc. should be taken from the opposite arm. Even years in the future such a simple procedure can cause oedema.
Just an example.

What about finger prick tests?

I've recently had surgery and the Nurses and HCA's who cared for me were incredibly kind and efficient.

So according to your logic, I guess every single person who works for the NHS must be incredibly kind and efficient and you've just imagined your poor experience, OP.

They are desensitised and experience empathy deficits over time

I am too conscious of confidentiality to share the very numerous instances of verbal abuse directed at me and colleagues during a 30+ year local government career. Not just verbal abuse, actually.

Does this make me think that people who are not government workers "bar the odd minority" are all like that? No.

Not sure because I’m not diabetic but I was advised by my breast nurse to always offer the other arm as a precaution.

This. You join full of compassion and enthusiasm but dealing with the public day in and day out soon knocks that out of you.

I'm sorry that you had an experience you are unhappy about,leaving that impression.
Maybe the people you saw were awful, but you can't extend that to every public sector employee.I've had a lot of experience of the NHS,and the vast majority of nurses and doctors have been caring and user friendly. The exception is the HCA I came across when I was having a late miscarriage - I still remember her,when I came across her again I avoided her - but she was the exception.
Against her I'd put the A and E Dr who talked through all my daughter's issues - she could just have given the results covering the specific thing that had brought us to A&E and sent us away but she realised there was a bigger picture and took the time to give as much help,support and information as she could.She was amazing.
Not everyone in public service will be caring,efficient etc etc but that doesn't mean they are all bad either.