Great Ormond Street Hospital under fire again, this time from a parent
The parent of one child treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital writes:
The problems at Great Ormond Street go deeper than just one person. Our first appointment there set the tone, when an arrogant receptionist looked up at a young couple who had travelled down from the North East with their baby and said casually: ‘Oh, didn’t anyone tell you – your appointment’s been cancelled.’ They were distraught.
We endured doctors who never read the case notes, returned phone calls or responded to emails. One consultant cared only about a special diet at the centre of her research. Another lost key files when our daughter’s life was at risk.
Not all the staff were bad. Some were outstanding, such as the palliative care team who kept us going through some of the toughest times. But we transferred our daughter’s neurology care to Evelina Children’s Hospital in London after a doctor lied over critical blood tests he had mislaid. We were scared to leave such a renowned centre of excellence, but now wish we had done so sooner. The care is vastly superior – possibly because staff cannot hide behind an exalted reputation.
New from me: Great Ormond Street Hospital under fire – again http://bit.ly/lh3z5E