"Aggressive and dismissive treatment"

I attended the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich, in severe physical pain and unable to open my eyes. I was already in a highly vulnerable state, as I am currently undergoing fertility treatment and participating in a depression group therapy programme.

After a four-hour wait, I was finally seen by a doctor. This doctor's demeanour immediately came across as hostile. As I attempted to explain my symptoms and the history of my discomfort, it was suddenly stated that they didn’t care, and they demanded that I only answer "yes or no."

As a woman of Asian (Nepali) heritage, I felt completely dismissed and silenced. My husband and I are well-educated professionals and believe in treating medical staff with the utmost respect; my husband remained calm to support me, but we both left the hospital in significant distress due to the doctor's unprovoked aggression.

What was the impact?

The doctor's shouting caused me to enter a psychological "freeze" response. I became numb and was unable to speak or process what was being said, leaving my husband to answer on my behalf. As someone already managing the emotional and hormonal toll of fertility treatment and clinical depression, being shouted at by a clinician was traumatising. I left the hospital feeling agitated and withdrawn, and the experience has had a lasting negative impact on my mental wellbeing.

What could be improved?

Clinicians must adhere to the NHS Constitution’s mandate to treat every patient with dignity, respect, and compassion.

The Trust should investigate why a doctor felt it was acceptable to shout at a patient in pain.

Mandatory training in compassionate communication and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) should be enforced for staff to ensure that vulnerable patients are not treated this way.