Thursday 12 August 2010

NIGHTMARE at watford general hospital!

I would never have believed what I'm about to relate if it hadn't happened to me! I had a problem with my eye and went to the GP. He referred me (with a letter)to the eye clinic at watford as an emergency. I arrived at 11.30 am, only to be told they were not seeing anymore patients and I should come back at 1.30. I had been told to make sure someone brought me as the drops they put in your eyes make it impossible to drive, so my father-in-law took me. We had 2 hrs to kill and went to Tescos for a quick bite. I returned at 1 p.m.leaving grandpa to go wander around somewhere for an hour or 2...or so I thought. There was a small queue so I joined it, taking turns with an old lady standing/sitting so we could keep out place. The Poor old folks, they were suffering standing for so long. The queue lengthened rapidly and after 45 min the 'Hatch' opened and the receptionist started to book people in. At this point, an irate woman went and had a go at receptionist whereupon, said receptionist took her bag and rushed out never to be seen again - leaving us stranded!!! 30 mins later another lady came and started checking us in. She spent 10 min per person. I was number 5 and eventually my turn arrived. I was asked by a nurse to read some letters and sent to sit with the others in a corridor to wait for the eye dr. 40 mins passed. A girl, on the verge of tears, whose brother had obviously had some serious eye injury, began to question whenther there was a dr around. A consultant came out and told the family to go to some eye clinic somewhere. They left! A couple of other people had gone too, leaving just 6 of us sitting there. The nurse came up and announced that no eye dr had turned up and we(the emergency patients) should travel at our own expense to an eye clinic in London or go home. It was now about 4p.m. One woman who had brought her mother to be checked went 'mental'! She demanded to see a dr and the nurse refused. She threatened to go into one of the rooms and bring one out herself.(There were 3 drs seeing the regular appointments, but none for emergencies) She said "get 1 dr here now! and the other 2 can cover for him. whoever heard of an emergency being sent away? We're not leaving until we see a dr."
We all sat tight waiting to see what would happen. 10 mins later, nurse returned to say an eye dr would see us, even though minutes before she said she couldnt conjure up a dr! Folks, THIS apparently is the state of the NHS. I spent no less than 6 hr in the hospital standing& sitting around. It sure makes the third world look very good indeed. Its downright dangerous to be sick in the UK. Thank God for Jesus.

8 comments:

Nubian1 said...

Ofo I have been to that out patient clinic in watford. So i could visual the senario...the reception desk is set in the corner....odd = {

Thankfully non of the drama happened to me...plus I had to drive myself back to work after my treatment.....though my boss was happy to send 2 people over, one to drive my car...i declined.

Anyway hope your eye is better, what a kerfuffle!

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Titus 2 Thandi said...

Wow.So what was the lie all about? That (the long wait) sounds like government hospitals here in SA!(Minus the lie, of course.) And when they say there are no doctors, there really aren't!How's your eye now?

anthia-ofo said...

Ladies, the dr said it'd take months for my eye to get back to normal, but psalm 107 says he sent his word and healed me. So I believe I'm healed.
Thandi, they weren't lying,(the emmergency eye dr never showed we just forced them to bring one of the other drs( who had regular appointments) to come see the emergency patients. It's sutpid. You cant make an appt until you've been first seen in emergency..and if they turn you away you keep coming back or find go to another eye clinic!!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Oaf,
This is all news to me - why didn't you say something when I last saw you? How are you now?
I was reading your story, thinking, 'When did Ofo go to Ghana, and how come her father-in-law went too?'.
It was only at the end, that I realised you were talking about good old Blighty.
All I can say is God help us

Gerrylocs said...

lovely blog..you have a new follower. Thanks for dropping by
hope your eye will be better soon...the Great Physician is ever near:)

anthia-ofo said...

I know Seiwa!(I assume it's you posting)I'm glad you thought it was Ghana. Proves my point. I kept telling everyone Ghana is better than this. It was such a long wahala. I'll give you details when we next come to do your retight hahaha.
Gerry, AMEN!!! Glad to see you here.

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