Patient confidentiality in hospital, I know its difficult but......

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Last year, I was in hospital a couple of times because of gall bladder problems.

There was a woman in a bed opposite me who came in for an op. When the doctors came in to do their rounds, they stood by her bed and talked VERY loudly about her medical history, including the fact that she had been an alcoholic for a number of years. Everyone on that part of the ward could hear everything. They didn't need to say that she'd been alcoholic, it was almost like they were trying to shame her.

When they left, she burst into tears. I was so for her. Her husband came in almost immediately after and comforted her thank goodness.

I know, its difficult on an open ward, but honestly, the doctors could have been more sensitive to this woman's plight.

This sort of thing makes me cross.

Me too Puff

I hate lack of privacy in any form. Although an amusing thing happened due to lack of privacy when I was in hosp ante-natally with dd a woman came in with leaking fluid. The doctor who visited her said in certainly an audible voice "what did the fluid that leaked look like?" to which she replied "Piss" - obviously the patient was more at fault in this case.

I particularly hate it when visiting the doctor and the receptionist asks what's wrong with you - I think someone on here had a very funny story about an old gent in a doctors waiting room... must try and look

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does anyone remember where the post is (unless of course it was an email). An old gent goes into the docs and the receptionist asks what's wrong and he says "there's something wrong with my dick" embarrassed the receptionist suggests he shouldn't say things like that in a full waiting room so everyone can hear and suggests he goes out and comes back with "earache". He goes out, comes back and the receptionist asks him what's wrong "i have something wrong with my ear" says the gent. "Oh what's wrong with it?" enquiries receptionist. "I can't piss out of it" he replies

i remember when i was pregnant the first time with dd and the receptionist actually SHOUTED, " so when was your last period?", fortunately for her i found it amusing at that point and just said "Does everyone know i'm pregnant now?" to the waiting room!!!

I got some blood test results over the phone though with this one, "Right Miss *" HIV-negative, syphillis-negative..................

I said to dp, the waiting room must have had a right earfull!!

jampot

A friend of mine had 5 miscarriages in a row about thirty years ago. As you all know, technically, any mc before 12 weeks is technically an abortion, and as she walked into the gynae place and the nurse called her to see who she was, she said loudly "Ah, yes, Mrs G, the serial aborter!" The other patients were somewhat startled, to say the least!

Nice to know that sensitivity levels remain unchanged in the NHS!

My way of dealing with medical receptionists when they ask me what is wrong is to say in my sweetest voice 'when you become medically qualified THEN I will ell you my symptoms, however until then I will only discuss them with my gp'. I'm sure they hate me at my local surgery but I couldn't give a toss