Page 5 | Young women dies - dismissed as a 'time waster' by hospital staff

Highmoon · 2026-06-03T12:11:14+00:00

[[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c302e83vrv5o https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c302e83vrv5o]] These news stories seem more and more frequent. This time the young woman had her parents with her and she was still dismissed as a time waster. This makes me so mad. This could so easily be any of our daughters. I noticed Mumsnet is featuring a petition on medical misogyny. I spotted this on the same day, proving how much a change is needed.

Chlorpool · Today 19:17

When my adult nephew complained of fatigue and couldn't swallow because he was in so much pain the 111 operator told his dw he was a big baby.
His dw took him to A&E where they discovered not only a massive quinsy but blood tests revealed he had a acute myeloid leukaemia.

MissMoneyFairy · Today 19:21

Kirbert2 · Today 19:08

On this thread alone, several people have stories about themselves/family members.

I'm not sure it is that rare, especially considering the recent introductions of Martha's rule and Jess' rule.

They don't all make the headlines. Especially if they survive.

Show quote history

Medical errors are not rare, you just don't hear about them, look at the amount of drug prescription errors there are for a start.

Delladuck · Today 19:24

My mil lives alone and 200 miles from us

(thank god she lives in an over 60's complex)

She had a double hernia and one day,last October,the pain was getting worse and worse to the point she couldn't stand up

She never bothers anyone,no matter how bad she feels but did ring for an ambulance and was told they where not sending one out as 'its not that bad'

She left her house to crawl over to the doctors over the road and collapsed in the street

Thank god the manager of the complex was just leaving another house and saw her

The manager rang for an ambulance and was bloody forceful about it-they sent one out and they operated later that day

She was told off for not ringing an ambulance when the pain got worse (!!!) and was very lucky to be alive (she has a history of blood clots and other issues)

We shot down there and stayed with her for as long as we could while she recovered but we where so bloody angry-we could have lost her

We did complain but got nowhere-they just didnt care

EmeraldRoulette · Today 19:37

@Lottapianos what do you think is needed? Especially in terms of morale.

BelieveInCher · Today 19:38

Lottapianos · Today 17:05

'I do sometime try to put the patients view when DH mentions something that’s happened at work, but he is so jaded by the level of demand and the rudeness and entitlement he gets from a majority of his patients, that he tends to see it as an attack'

I completely get why you do that, but I completely get his point of view as well. I cannot overstate the brutalising effect of working in a system that just doesn't care about anyone, whether that's patients or it's own staff.

I work for the NHS and work with many different teams and people are absolutely on their knees. I hear a lot of conversations that don't sound caring in the slightest. Jaded doesn't begin to cover it. A lot of these staff (though certainly not all!) are decent people who really do want to do their best, but it is just impossible to provide decent care with ridiculous inefficient processes and systems, and nowhere near enough staff. I did 17 years in a frontline clinical role myself and ended up with absolutely nothing left to give - totally burned out. It's horrendous

I don't say any of this to minimise any of the many examples of appalling care, or total absence of care, that have been shared on this thread. Not for a moment. Just to add a slightly different take on the perspective that the system is indeed broken, for staff as well as patients

It’s amazing how at least one person on every one of these threads describes NHS workers as being “on their knees”. Is that phrase taught at induction or something?

If an NHS worker has gotten to the stage where they openly and unapologetically detest their patients then they need to find a new job. If I showed my clients an ounce of the attitude most of us receive from the NHS I’d be fired.

Chimneyissues · Today 19:57

I have been in A&E with DD having horrific stomach issues a dozen times. Sometimes it’s been resolved quickly. Sometimes not. I must say some of the staff aren’t that sympathetic and also dismissive of me telling them the best way to resolve it.
Its taken 2 admissions for them to start taking us more seriously. Although the head of gastro came to see us and told me as bad as it is he knows it’s not serious which at least makes me feel better.

I would say though having spent 3 days in a paediatrics ward there were loads of staff, very very few patients and no one looked particularly busy. I only felt sorry for the junior doctor who frankly looked knackered. I know it’s not winter so I’m sure that has an impact on numbers. Only the junior doctor looked busy/harrassed.

Kirbert2 · Today 20:24

Chimneyissues · Today 19:57

I have been in A&E with DD having horrific stomach issues a dozen times. Sometimes it’s been resolved quickly. Sometimes not. I must say some of the staff aren’t that sympathetic and also dismissive of me telling them the best way to resolve it.
Its taken 2 admissions for them to start taking us more seriously. Although the head of gastro came to see us and told me as bad as it is he knows it’s not serious which at least makes me feel better.

I would say though having spent 3 days in a paediatrics ward there were loads of staff, very very few patients and no one looked particularly busy. I only felt sorry for the junior doctor who frankly looked knackered. I know it’s not winter so I’m sure that has an impact on numbers. Only the junior doctor looked busy/harrassed.

Winter is definitely worse. My son was in hospital for 10 months so I got to see all of the seasons and spring/summer wasn't that bad but winter was manic and made worse by the ward next door having a RSV outbreak which meant that ward closing and children from that ward without RSV moving to the ward we were on.