| lesley153
|
Sometimes I stop them and say "Well, actually, yes, there is a problem - I'm ill." This time, though, I asked the girl at the dairy why that happens, and we had a giggle over it. I wonder if making a joke of it will have a better effect. Certainly better for me than seething.
The worst one I can think of offhand was at the end of 1998 when I rang the school I helped at, and left a message with a woman at the school desk, to tell the teacher who was expecting me that I wouldn't be in to help today - my husband had just had a heart attack. I was confident that the teacher would ring me when she got home, to find out how we were, so I was a bit miffed when she didn't.
A couple of days later, I gave in and rang her. She was stunned, because the message she'd got was that I wouldn't be in today. Not a peep about why.
We both had the measure of the woman who took my call - not the most pleasant or intelligent person we knew - and she knew us because one of her daughters was a classmate of Jonathan's. She had a very small job, which wouldn't have been demanding even if she'd done it properly, but attempted to compensate by playing her own little power games, like taking it upon herself to decide which sick members of staff weren't worth sending flowers to. And, of course, deciding which messages to pass on accurately, and which not. She'll get hers one day. Maybe already has.
Gary, I do the same thing, like ringing a cab firm if I've been offered a lift. It's just courtesy, but so many people won't because there's nothing in it for them, or because a phone call will cost them tuppence.
Thanks, Squisher, I shall do that. Did they ask you how you were? Not even bother to offer their congratulations? Amazing. |
Reply #441. Apr 24 10, 1:06 PM
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guitargoddess 
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Goodness, Squisher, that is pretty bad!
I guess I can kind of see how maybe the dentist's office might not really care that much if you broke your leg or something (though still a "oh dear, how terrible!" would be nice), but surely the obstetrician's office should have cared a bit more than you'd had an emergency C-section!
Reply #442. Apr 24 10, 1:33 PM
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Squisher
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Lesley, the receptionist thanked me for phoning, but offered no congratulations. She did ask if I had a boy or a girl though, and that was it!
The thing that angered me was the OB. A specialist had pulled strings to get me into this hotshot's practice. He was supposedly one of the best. However, it was clear to me that money was his priority, as he also heavily promoted cosmetic procedures. Weird combo, obstetrics and plastic surgery. Anyway, I felt he mismanaged me and didn't understand my specific condition at the time. I had to take care of my own health at the end, and was surprised I never even got a phone call from him to see how I was doing. Had something gone wrong, I would have sued his a$$!
Reply #443. Apr 24 10, 1:38 PM
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| lesley153
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| Looks like the C-section rescued you from the hotshot. One way of looking at it! |
Reply #444. Apr 24 10, 2:28 PM
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Squisher
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Ha ha ha! (((((L)))))
Reply #445. Apr 24 10, 2:58 PM
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| lesley153
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Jonathan left his flat quite late, took the tube to my brother's house to pick my car up, was pulled inside to get the display cabinet in the car to take home (that's another family story), and was then plied with tea and, I believe, food. We half expected my SIL to ask him to show her something "quickly" on the computer, which would turn into three hours and then they'd pour him into bed. No, just food.
He didn't take the M1 - the road he got stuck on last week, and said shoot him if he ever tries to use it again. He took the A1 and stopped for air. He may also have stopped for petrol. He got here at 1.30, I saw him for half a minute, and he crawled up to bed. Think I'll do the same. :)
Night all! |
Reply #446. Apr 24 10, 6:57 PM
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| lesley153
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| Oops - where are my manners? Squisher, thank you for the hugs. We like hugs. |
Reply #447. Apr 24 10, 6:59 PM
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Professer
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Glad Jonathon got home safe and sound and hope you have a fabulous day together celebrating his birthday.
I have been a little remiss of late not sending hugs to you lesley so to make up for it
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{LESLEY}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Reply #448. Apr 25 10, 4:33 AM
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| lesley153
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Thanks, Gary. Keep the hugs coming.
Had a nice Sunday with him, just taking it easy and catching up. Good to see the car again - the drive was looking very bare.
He went back with three books by or about Yehudi Menuhin, for his girlfriend, who has a load of essays to write, and was looking for one of Menuhin's books, but it's out of print and she can't find a copy anywhere. Lucky then that I used to spend a lot of time browsing second-hand and charity bookshops, and built up a healthy collection of reference books for not much money. I thought they were potentially interesting. It never occurred to me that any of them would prove actively useful. Nigel Kennedy, anyone?
Best of all - he got up first and brought me tea in bed. *sigh* |
Reply #449. Apr 25 10, 8:19 PM
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| veronikkamarrz
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Wonderful! What a nice boy.
Reply #450. Apr 25 10, 8:39 PM
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Professer
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Good for him to do that for you Lesley if i was therei would do same. {{{{{{{{ L }}}}}}}}
Reply #451. Apr 26 10, 1:03 AM
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| lesley153
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VM, I think he is, but I'm biased.
Gary, I'll hold you to that! |
Reply #452. Apr 26 10, 6:32 PM
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| lesley153
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Tomorrow I have an assignation with three strange men.
One is the ambulance man who's investigating my complaint about the ambulance crew who brought me in. He's booked a conference room at HQ, which is near me, so we can relax, talk and drink coffee. One's his boss, and the third is in charge of the fleet, and he's going to drive me there, and home afterwards.
An investigator, his boss, a driver and a conference room - talk about taking it seriously! |
Reply #453. Apr 27 10, 12:54 PM
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| veronikkamarrz
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WoW! Is this a first? Good luck with your meeting!
Reply #454. Apr 27 10, 1:11 PM
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Professer
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Lesley hope all goes well tmw for you, the way you were treated was a down right disgrace wish i was there with you i'd give them hell. i need to let off some steam.
Let me know how it goes
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Lesley}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Reply #455. Apr 27 10, 2:44 PM
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| lesley153
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It could well be a first. It's the first time I've complained about an ambulance crew, and it's the first time anything I've written has resulted in a meeting in a conference room with two levels of management!
Of course I shall report back, and I shall try to keep the report shorter than the complaint.
I haven't even had an acknowledgment, let alone a response, to my complaint about the doctor, but he was in the same email as the ambulance crew, so I know they've got it. It'll be good practice for complaining about my GP. (Have to get a new one first, before I complain about the old one.) |
Reply #456. Apr 27 10, 3:36 PM
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| lesley153
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I've been assuming that people don't often complain about medical staff, and the management want to know what's happening because they want to offer the best service they can... but I've just thought of a better reason, much more compelling, much more negative. They don't want patient deaths resulting from substandard care.
Or perhaps it's a bit of both. People who take a pride in their work resent being associated with people who don't.
And I get to have a ride in a real motor car! and coffee! |
Reply #457. Apr 27 10, 6:48 PM
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| lesley153
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The driver took me to HQ and left to do some work of his own while I talked to the man in charge of the investigation and his boss - the area manager. (The conference room was double-booked so we used a Personnel room and didn't get any coffee. Swizz!)
They asked me to clarify a few things I'd written, like the tone of voice used for some of the remarks; or who'd said what - that's easy - it was the sneery one who made the trio of unacceptable remarks that I quoted, while the other two mostly just got on with their jobs. Those two didn't say anything unpleasant, but they didn't tell the sneery one to stop either. They're a team, and there's a reason the sneery one was placed with them that day, but I'm not allowed to know why.
How did the episode make me feel? One word answer: a nuisance. As though I needed to justify my entitlement to the service, and I've never been made to feel like that in an ambulance before. (I couldn't work out what the sneery one was hoping to achieve, so I just stopped talking.)
They also asked me what I'd like to see as the outcome to this investigation - apparently, but only since last month, hanging and flogging are no longer options. In that case, I'd like to see the sneery one placed with a team - men twice her age, perhaps? - who won't stand for her attitude. Or perhaps retrained to get the attitude knocked out of her.
I thought the two who usually worked together would have been OK by themselves, and appreciated how difficult it is to tell a colleague to tone it down, especially in front of a patient.
I didn't suggest giving her the sack. That's a management decision, and it would be a waste of her training. I suspect that that surprised the managers, perhaps because that's what most people suggest: "hang, flog, sack, in the order of your choice." Actually, that's quite tempting. ;) |
Reply #458. Apr 28 10, 10:29 AM
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rayven80
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You are the soul of restraint. I'd have gone with the flogging for starters. Did they say anything about talking again, what they would do, or how they would handle it?
Reply #459. Apr 28 10, 10:41 AM
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| Lochalsh
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Lesley said: I've been assuming that people don't often complain about medical staff, and the management want to know what's happening because they want to offer the best service they can... but I've just thought of a better reason, much more compelling, much more negative. They don't want patient deaths resulting from substandard care.
____________________
In the United States, at least, medical managers are often concerned with avoiding malpractice actions. I'm not sure how that works in the UK; can you bring suit against an employee of the national health system?
Do you have any feeling of satisfaction from what transpired this morning? Do you think anything will change as a result of your complaints? Will they let you know what happens from here?
((((((((((((((((Lesley))))))))))))))))))))))
(By the way, those aren't hugs I'm sending you, they're "abrazos." Gotta use my training sometimes!)
Reply #460. Apr 28 10, 11:20 AM
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