
I booked my appointment directly with Parkside Hospital, Wimbledon, so I didn't attend the London Heart Clinic nor any HCA premises, so my comments relate entirely to Parkside Hospital.
1 - Booking the appointment was a welcoming experience, Tanya was friendly, polite, courteous and easy to converse with.
2 - A follow up email was sent with the appointment details and patient information form which gave some scant details that would not in themselves form the basis of a contract imo.
3- On arrival for the appointment, I was asked to sign a form in 3 places. I was not given a copy of it nor given a chance to take it and read it in the waiting area, I was just asked to sign it, without it being read.
4 - on the basis that this document is in fact a contractual document setting out terms and conditions, which I didn't get to read, this is very poor practice, and could be challengeable. I also have no idea whether it made any reference to 'consent' within it.
5 - I was not handed a copy of the form before or after signing, and the form, with my signatures, has not been emailed to me subsequently, and it is now 2 days after the appointment.
6 - I arrived early for my appointment in the hope that I might be seen earlier than planned, but in the event, I was actually taken in for my appointment 25 minutes after my appointment time, but on the other hand, I had some 50 minutes, so I might have delayed someone else or made Dr Hinton late on leaving. Having said that, he didn't rush me at all, and I am very grateful for this.
7 - Dr Hinton himself was a pleasure to consult with. He made me feel at ease, and he enabled me to feel validated, and heard. He was kind and supportive and I felt I had found someone I could trust. Trust is a super important factor to me, as I've had so many bad experiences in the past.
8 - Dr Hinton grasped matters quickly and set out a case management plan, and dictated his letter to my GP in my presence, for which I am grateful. The only issue I have with that is, that I would rather the NHS GP is not involved, as I have no faith in NHS medical services right now, and I would wish to refer the letter to my health insurers, but am not sure how this will be done, and particularly so, if I am reluctant to speak with my NHS GP? I'm hoping that I will also be furnished with a letter that I can produce to my health insurers, so as to get authorisation for a scan plus it's super important that the letter has been sent to the right GP practice, and I hope it has. I did amend this quickly on the form. This has left a bit of a grey area for me, and I don't know if it was mentioned on the form that I was asked to sign without being able to read through it or be furnished with a copy so I could read it whilst waiting and ask for any amendments?
9 - Parkside is easy to access but it's looking a bit shabby in the outpatients area from my perspective, and the staff look a bit unkempt. My aunt was awarded an MBE for her services to nursing nearly 40 years ago, sadly, she is no longer with us, but she was a stickler for her staff having pristine uniforms, admittedly in the days when nurses wore hats and cuffs, proper uniforms, and butterfly belts, but she was always immaculately turned out and took a pride in her appearance, as well as her work. I often think that today, it begs a question about infection control, or moreover, the lack of it.
10 - it would have been nice to have someone volunteering to work the drinks machine. Older people are afraid to ask but are often dehydrated when waiting, and as we age, technology becomes quite challenging, even a drinks machine!
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Atrial Fibrillation