'NEVER HELP A SOUL'I had to go to the clinic the other day. I had yet another vicious throat infection and felt truly awful.
I didn't have an appointment, but was reassured by a number of posters that the walk-in service had been improved. I dread to think what it must have been like before.
I gave my number to the sullen-faced female at reception and slumped into a chair with a split running down the entire length of the cushion. After almost three years, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've seen one of the people at reception smile.
I waited half an hour, passing the time with a discarded Guardian. I consider this to be a pretty long wait, seeing as how the place was practically empty and their service had been "improved".
A triage nurse took me into a side-room and assessed me. Rather than refer me to a doctor, he told me I would next see a clinical nurse specialist. I was stunned to hear this - I wanted to see an HIV doctor. I had a bloody sore throat, and it was already bad enough having to tell my story twice....
After informing me that a lady CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist) would be along to see me soon, I slumped once again into the chair with the split running down the entire length of the cushion. Another half-hour later, a male CNS came up and bid me enter his chamber. What had happened to the lady CNS is a mystery. Male CNS could not help me, as I had suspected all along, and I demanded to see a doctor. I also enquired whether the daily sandwiches had arrived yet, as I had to take some antibiotics with food. "We don't do them any more", mumbled the receptionist resentfully, which, as it happens, turned out to be a barefaced lie.
Male CNS went to get a doc, who couldn't really help me either. All he could do was give me another antibiotic, presumably to boost the current one. Male CNS came back with some news about the sandwiches - the system had changed. I could fill in a form and get a voucher - this I could take to the canteen or have the sandwich delivered to the clinic. I didn't feel up to hunting around the hospital to find the cafeteria and was in no mood to wait longer until the sandwich was delivered - I'd already been there feeling like death warmed up for two hours and gotten nowhere and who knows how long it would take to get a sandwich delivered? "I'll buy one across the road", I told male CNS and stormed out - well, it's not possible to storm out when you have two slipped discs, peripheral neuropathy and feel like shit, but I think they got the message.
Is this how the service has been "improved" since the onset of patient involvement?
While I was there, several workmen were carrying out "improvements" to various parts of the clinic - as far as I'm aware, they've been doing this for at least a year, I think longer. How come the hospital can afford to do this, but not to provide us with sandwiches, drinks and fruit any more? Never mind my antibiotics - there are people there who have to wait so long that they need to take their antiretrovirals and food right there and then.
Is this the best service that the NHS can offer us?
