It may sound trivial but something that drives me and many other people round the bend when they visit the Ulverston Health Centre has been solved. The upsetting thing is that the solution was there all the time and not implemented.
Those of you that have visited the upstairs doctor's waiting room will know that you are faced with having to continuously watching red writing flickering across a screen. You are forced to look and unable to do anything else because you are watching out for your name to come up for your appointment. Many I have spoken to find this visit to a doctor makes them feel more unwell than when they were before being faced with the red menace. One I spoke to refuses to wait in this room but stands in the corridor in protest.
I have raised this matter at numerous times with my doctor - Rath and with people behind the desk and got nowhere. However when I talked to the locum that I have come to admire and always see if I need a doctor - Dr Hattersley, she said "That's easy to fix, I'll deal with it". Simple as that.
And so she has. Whenever a name comes up on the screen it is accompanied by a couple of beeps. This enables you to do whatever you want - read a paper, face the other way, look out the window, turn your chair away from the screen and just listen for the bleeps and only look at the screen then. We are now freed from being treated like a load of Zombies to what we are: humans with our freedom re-instated and the respect we deserve.
The upsetting thing is that this facility was there all the time and wasn't used. Could it be that the staff got annoyed with hearing the beep all the time and switched it off?
Does this not illustrate just how out of touch the management are with the public? For whose benefit is the Ulverston Health Centre run?
As for my treatment by my present doctor - Dr Rath : I have decided to change to the other practice that is available. I cannot tolerate what I see as high handed behaviour from this doctor where in several ways he determines what he sees as 'the truth' and then takes what I see as high handed autocratic action. This is not the kind of treatment that I am willing to accept. I can see this as the kind that others may prefer in that they believe that the doctor knows best. For me I have to remain 'in the driving seat' and be incharge of my treatment. As the surgeon said before my operation for cancer back in 1978 "So Mr Dellow, you're the person that wants to ask all the questions" Yes he certainly understood. I haven't changed. Doctors are their to work for us and not there to 'take charge' - unless we request this. I have made my views clear to Dr Rath by letter and am very willing to discuss my behaviour and viewpoint with him.
While I'm on the subject of the Ulverston Health Centre: there is no mechanism for dealing with people with an urgent need for help. A family came in with a young girl needing attention for a breathing attack that was in progress and getting worse - they had to wait patiently in a queue of four people with an enquiry taking a long time. We eventually were able to get attention in the office and a nurse immediately led the child away for treatment. Once again the place seems to be run for the benefit of the management.
4 comments:
To late, he's seen it.
Dear anonymous trouble maker.
If he refers to Dr Roth then my answer is "Good".
As already reported, I've written to him explaining what I think and the fact that I won't put up with his behaviour - because I don't have to.
Haha. Always trying to wriggle out of situations you cause! If you have written to him then that's fine, its kept between yourselves. BUT your big mistake was to publish your original statement, that he is "a liar". That is defamation. Personally I'd sue you for every last penny you are worth. And you have the absolute nerve to call me a troublemaker.
Glad to see that you've identified your true nature. What I despise you for is that you won't identify yourself. What I said was true but the truth is often not black and white. I am making allowances for this.
The other side of the coin is that patients should have a way of communicating with the wider public about the behaviour of their doctors. At the moment there are severe problems with our Health Service which need sorting out. The public appear to me to be powerless.
What do you suggest?
I shall not publish your reply unless you identify yourself in a way that I can verify: email to me with a phone number.
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