“I have no trust in the healthcare system”
“I think that from my experience what I can say is that I absolutely have no trust in the healthcare system…And the fact that under the “Putting things right” – you know, when you put a concern in, the response to my concern was that my surgeon refused to treat me anymore. And yet that was the only surgeon in the Health Board that is able to treat me. And you know, when you put in a concern, you have faith in that system to try to rectify that concern. Instead, I’m being told: “Your concern is not being upheld” but, on top of that, the consultant will no longer see you anymore. So they refer me to Cardiff and Cardiff decline my referral due to cost, being within the wrong postcode. So I get bounced back to the original gynaecologist who says that I’m too complex for her to treat anyway. But now she’s the only gynaecologist that I’m under. And apparently she’s retiring and I don’t think I’ve been referred on to anybody else. So now, once again, I’m in absolute limbo. I completely understand that Covid has put pressure on our healthcare services, and I think that that can’t go unmentioned, but I also believe that there comes a time where they’re using that as an excuse. The rest of the world has largely gone back to normal and yet healthcare services seem to be the slowest to get back up and running. And, to be honest, I am sick of being told that the delays are being caused due to Covid. I have been on the “urgent to be seen list”, by the chronic pelvic pain multidisciplinary clinic, since I left hospital last March. And I still haven’t been seen. And last week, I think, she rang me for a phone appointment, and I had Tonsillitis so I was really struggling to speak. And she was just like, “Well, we won’t bother with this appointment then.” And I said, “But I need to talk to you. I do understand that I’ve got Tonsillitis but I do want to try and do this appointment.” And she just said, “Look, I’ll put you on the urgent list to see you in clinic next time. Goodbye!” Phone down. You know, there is just no respect and no empathy for service users. We’re just another name on their list. And I think, in particular, when they’re doing it via phone now, and they’re not able to see us, I think that’s even more of a barrier. Because I’m nothing to her, she’s never ever seen my face. You know? So how can I expect her to care about me? She should, but she doesn’t. And I just like to add to that I I’ve lost all faith in my GP. It’s come to the point now where I don’t even ring my GP anymore. If I am in pain, or if I feel like I need something, I will ask my mum to do it for me or I won’t ring at all. And I’ve got a better relationship now with the pharmacist at the GP, than with any of the GPs in the service at all. Because at least he has time. He sets aside time to speak to me and to ask me, ‘Am I okay? and ‘What’s going on?’ and how can he help me? So it gets to the point now where I’m ringing up to speak to a GP but, automatically, they just put me through to the pharmacist. How is that right? Sometimes you need to see a GP.”