Cut f inger? Fill in two forms before we treat you

WHeN Patricia Tidbury cut her finger on a heavy metal door, she was at least in the right place to have it treated – a GPs’ surgery. Or so she thought. But first she was told that, incredibly, there was no one present qualified to administer first aid.

And then the great-grandmother had to tackle the unexpected barrier of red tape before she was finally attended to.

Because she wasn’t a registered patient at the surgery she had to fill in two forms – despite her pain – before the cut and bruised finger could be treated by a nurse.

Mrs Tidbury, 73, had been referred to the healthcare centre for a dermatology appointment but caught her finger on the door as she left.

Not wanting to bother the practice itself, Mrs Tidbury initially sought advice from the adjoining pharmacy, but was urged to seek medical attention.

But when she approached receptionists at the surgery in Dartford, Kent, with her finger still bleeding, she was told there was no one with first aid training immediately available to dress the wound.

She was then asked to fill in an accident report form and a patient registration slip before she was finally seen by a nurse. Mrs Tidbury did not wish to talk about the drama yesterday. But her daughter said Mrs Tidbury, from Gravesend, had been dealt with without compassion or common sense.

Amanda Miles, 50, from nearby Northfleet, said: ‘My mum asked if she could get her finger dressed, but the receptionist told her they were not first-aid trained and didn’t even look at the wound.

‘Mum was in a lot of pain. She was t r embling and her f i nger was bleeding and she just wanted to get the wound dressed.’

Mrs Miles said her mother spent around 15 minutes seeking help and filling in the two forms before she was finally seen by the practice nurse.

She added: ‘I was so angry when mum told me what had happened and we have written a letter of complaint.’ She has also contacted the Care Quality Commission, expressing her disappointment with the way her mother was treated.

She said: ‘There seemed to be no compassion there or common sense.

‘My sister called the practice afterwards and asked if the staff were firstaid trained and was told they were. She asked why they never treated my mum and got told the practice was not a walk-in centre.’

Mrs Tidbury suffered a superficial cut to her finger. She is now recovering at home.

The surgery was contacted for a comment but has not responded.

‘In a lot of pain and trembling’