Incompetent people who have not got a clue about Deaf awareness or how to relate to them.

[Brandibell]

Need to vent.. I am off for a Cardiac MRI Viability test this afternoon to have a look at the structure of my LV as stated in my post earlier.

But this morning I had a Doctors appointment or so I thought. It turns out it was a telephone consultation. I am Deaf/HOH , i lipread 😷i cannot hear on the phone very well and multi national accents are a No Go. My son made the appointment and nothing was mentioned about a telephone one.

All I need is a Sick note until I am tested for Brugada then I can go back to university and finish my MA.

The best bit is the missed call number on my mobile is not even my surgery(5 minutes away) it is at the main surgery 15 miles away. Give me strength.🤬

How can I see my cardiologist face to face with an interpreter but I cannot see my GP face to face..what is going on at surgeries?..They are up to something behind locked doors..I now have to wait to find out if he wants to see me or he can write one without. I mean it's not like he hasn't got my notes on a screen is it..

Somebody's head is going to start to roll if I am not sorted out soon. Heart wise as well. Enough is Enough it is hard enough being deaf dealing with Stupid and stupid .

[HenryTudor]

I agree. GPs haven’t dealt with the pandemic at all well.

[Brandibell in reply to HenryTudor]

The phone lines are either busy or they hang up after 23 seconds. The online patient access has now been stopped. Which is not helpful for the deaf/HOH. You can't message them. It is left to the receptionist to pick up the pieces whilst the doctors sit there on a huge salary for very little and i mean very little work. Mon-Friday.

[Hidden]

GP’s are in their counting house counting out their money.

[Brandibell in reply to Hidden]

Which is a huge amount..Grrr

[Hidden]

I feel your frustrations, I too feel very let down by my doctors surgery, when are they going to step up instead of having the practice nurses dealing with everything.

[Brandibell in reply to Hidden]

My Family say change your doctors to where? is my reply as they all appear to be in it for the money only. What is frustrating is the lack of equality and empathy for those with invisible disabilities, especially deafness. If you are Autistic you are rocking and a rolling as society me included all understand the issues faced, but if you are deaf/HOH it's tough .

[Hidden in reply to Brandibell]

I think it probably be a waste of time changing doctors at this present time, hopefully things will improve soon. 😊

[woodlandwonders in reply to Hidden]

Totally agree. I'm 100% being treated through the Nurses. I wouldn't mind if they were paid properly.

I cant get near a GP, but I have been invited twice, since they released us, to go and have a smear test in the room for 20+min with the poor nurse. Like they are somehow immune.

[Hidden in reply to woodlandwonders]

I went for a smear too!

[woodlandwonders in reply to Hidden]

I've been to poorly

[Maisiemay13]

Hi I am a doctors receptionist I can only speak for our practice we would for a medical sick note, first send a message to a GP to see if they were happy to write one if not the GP would ask us to book an appointment which would be via telephone or video link which hopefully would be of some help,ask your son to see if this is something that they offer

[Thanksnhs]

Totally agree about GP'S I am not long out of the hospital after a transplant my gp, I have been in the practice for 54 years, point blank refused to prescribe my lifesaving meds, much to the horror of my consultant, I was then left to find a new doctor that was willing to take me on, absolutely shocking to be allowed to treat patients like that, it was added stress I didn't need, it's still getting sorted out, I wish you well and I would definitely think about changing my doctor if that's the way you are being treated, take care char

[Hidden in reply to Thanksnhs]

Contact the local newspaper 🗞 and tell them...we need to name & shame these greedy GP’s.

[Thanksnhs in reply to Hidden]

I just couldn't believe it, after all the care and attention and of course the cost to the NHS to be treated like that, I am going to wait till I feel a bit stronger and then look into it, the hospital are as well, I really hope you can get your own issues resolved, they should not be allowed to treat us like that, char

[Brandibell in reply to Thanksnhs]

My GP had retired when j came out of hospital. So all of a sudden 6 appeared, it was chaos. I hadn't a clue could barely understand their accents due to my lack of clarity. Every Time I went I saw a different one. Now well i am under the care of a hospital 20 miles away under Cardiac protective approach(at risk of sudden cardiac arrest) and not a doctor in sight locally. Do Take Care.x

[woodlandwonders in reply to Thanksnhs]

I tell everyone your story. A minority dont want to entertain it, it rocks the foundations of what they believe so much. The rest are totally sickened.

What we have to remember is that GPs are private businesses, running NHS contracts.

[Qualipop]

I had a very scary problem a couple of months ago when my hearing went completely; absolutely due to a vacuum in the eustacian tube. Obviously I couldn't use a phone so got my husband to ring 111. He is so bad withy a phone by thetime he's removed it from his ear to press this or that button, the menu has started again. He eventually got as far as a person but couldn't explain what was wrong so they simply put the phone down on him. He refused to ring back or ring 999 which I couldn't do. I have since discovered that you can register your phone to get text messages via 999 but at the time I was petrified. I can only hear on speaker phone and then only on my landline but he hospital insists on using my mobile. It really is infuriating. The GP still insists on someone phoning you.

[Brandibell in reply to Qualipop]

That is the one. I ask most of my contacts to email me then find messages on my home phone or voice mail. It is what is easiest to them. Being deaf/HOH we are in the minority..

[Qualipop in reply to Brandibell]

Thankfully my hearing came back although it is very poor and I rely on lip reading (When people don't have masks) a lot but I am so thankful my gran didn't live through this technological age. She was profoundly deaf from age 20 and we all learned to communicate by pronouncing words so she could lip read. I don't think there was sign language then. Mum worked in a noisy cotton mill so absolutely everyone learned to lip read and enunciate properly. As well as the problem with phones and such I find that people just mumble now and don't move their mouths. I've seen how isolating deafness can be and how much it can contribute to the development of dementia. It's not taken seriously enough. All this technology shoudl help not hinder.

[Brandibell]

I agree with everything you have written especially mumbling. Most hard of hearing people struggle with the clarity not so much the volume. I have just had a text from my doctors asking me how I would recommend them 5 no way 1 I would happily tell friends and family to join up to my surgery. You can guess which I picked.. they then wanted to know why. So briefly I told them. Now they might publish it anonymously. I am like to can name me if you want I will quite happily give it you lock stock and barrel..haha.. Apparently my Grandma had her ear drum removed and was deaf in one ear most of her 90 years..I never knew until recently. Mine is related to childhood measles/mumps.x

[HHH2017]

My son is profoundly Deaf and we have NEVER found any hospital staff to be Deaf Aware it infuriates me😡I do alot of campaigning!!!

Delighted to hear today that we’ve one a HUGE battle with the NHS to issue clear face masks to staff and we got Bristol Nightingale to backtrack re using Makaton instead of BSL 💪🏾 BUT i feel your frustration it SHOULDN’T be this difficult😞 Hope your surgery sorts themselves out & at the very least apologises BIG TIME