Ards Community Hospital

DrMacCarrie (most likely spelt incorrectly) was full of ignorance over the phone from the out of hours doctor Monday 9th September 2024 at 10.10pm approx.

My partner is in agony and the Dr didn’t seem to take anything we told her into account. Advised us it’s a GP issue but refused point blank to provide any painkillers for my partner which may work for her chronic illness.

I asked her what could we do to get my partner to a GP appointment as she is bed bound. This question was answered by just call the GP for an appointment.

The Dr commented that they only help people with new conditions not pre existing ones. When I asked her about this she changed her story to pre existing and new conditions but the existing one had to be more severe or words to that affect. I pointed out to her that this was indeed the case but of course this didn’t matter to the Dr. No point talking to people even ‘professionals’ who are stuck in their fox hole. She gave me no impression she wanted to help but gave me the impression that she wanted an argument or felt that I was attacking her. I explained I am not attacking by asking questions and that I have no time to attack a doctor this evening as my partner is in agonising pain. The Dr also made an accusation to me that I was implying the out of hours service do nothing to help anyone. This was an outrageous thing to hear from a Dr. In no way did I imply this or say this.

Apparently asking them what they’re for is an implication that they do nothing at the out of hours. This is the impression she gave me and also by what she had said.

Zero help, zero empathy. Tbh I got the impression it was a you know what measuring contest from the Dr. She just wanted to be right. Not to help.

Absolutely steeped in bureaucracy, it's damn near impossible to get an appointment, and when you finally do get one and manage to wait the weeks it'll take for your appointment time to come, you can only get help for 1 thing. If you have a sore ankle and sleeping issues, you're gonna have to pick which is more important to ask the doctor about and then wait weeks to address the other.

The only reason this review isn't 1 one star is because when you do actually manage to get an appointment with a GP they are (for the most part) so great and do genuinely try to be as helpful as possible.

The person at cashiers desk was very sarcastic with me when I was gathering information to support a vulnerable non English speaker to access help with transport costs for an appointment. I ended up just hanging up.

Though in early for appointment wasn't seen until half hour after time..Dr very informative and developing of treatment. Bloods taken sent home happy chappy

Verbally abusive negligent mental health team ignored serious mental health problems (nightly suicide attempts, self harm, not sleeping for weeks, dissasociating daily, disshelved, weight dropping to a mere 5.5 stone and I was so ill I was unaware of how little I weighed). They didn't give me proper meds, didn't give me anything to help me sleep, withheld inpatient care, shouted & taunted me- including bigoted remarks based on an incorrect assumption of my nationality and religion. I was forced 4 times to receive inpatient care in the South as a result. A hospital in the South correctly noticed my undiagnosed Autism and initially assumed that my extreme weight lost was due to anorexia but the staff based in Ards hospital refused to help me, and only let me have the promised Autism assessment until a judge heard about it and which I received a diagnosis years after the Southern hospital had highlighted my Autism. Dr. Jonathan Ferrier Green, Lee Baxter, Cara McCarron, Paula Brannigan, Lynne Mason, Hazel Bunting and Siobhan Fox were abusive in multiple ways- verbally, emotionally (who taunts a suicidal Autistic with stitches in her arm from a suicide attempt?) & physically just for begging for mental health care & the promised Autism assessment. "Dr." Green lost his job and licence over his treatment of me and had to apologise. Senior management including Don Brannigan eventually met and apologised to me. Staff continue to claim that I "only" received inpatient stays in the South because "I paid for it".

I had shoulder surgery in October 2021 and was sent to physiotherapist Nicole - she has been amazing. She was really helpful and supportive, explaining exercises very patiently to me. Thank you so much Nicole for all your help.

Thank u to Ards Community Hospital Outpatients for taking such great care of me yesterday. Going to hospital can be so nerve wracking, but the lovely nurses put me at ease from checking me in to chatting about baby
rabbits whilst giving blood Lol! My doctor was lovely too and it was super easy to talk to her. Am still under investigation but am in save hands - thank u NHS