I was down at the hospital for my latest Venesection yesterday.
On my way down to the Infusion Suite I bumped into my Consultant who gave me my initial diagnosis.
We had a quick chat, she thanked me for a letter I sent suggesting a change the date for my next appointment with her due to a rescheduling of my appointment with the Transplant team.
Spent a few minutes asking her about her family holiday to Legoland (not the one in Windsor but the original one in Denmark). I saw her come to life telling me about how Lego originated.
Then into the infusion suite where the nurse and I chatted about her career, my time working in the NHS and the fact that her daughter was soon starting University. Also asking the other team members how they were.
It got me thinking just how important chatting generally about life really helps build relationships with clinical teams.
I always admire those staff in clinical and non clinical roles in the NHS and at the same time they just like all of us have life’s outside work too.
Wonder what others have found helpful in building relationships with their clinical teams?
Good question @DuncanB and I agree that building a rapport with everyone is so important and I find people are so interesting, it makes my day and I hope it improves theirs slightly!!!
I ask everyone ‘and how are you today?’. This can lead to a deeper conversation, time permitting. In this day and age where people are often more interested in their mobiles than people and don’t even turn them off when they go for a medical appointment. Something really obvious but just saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ is really appreciated.
I also think being organised with my paperwork actually helps, how often do I get asked about my medications and other conditions.Then writing down my questions and actually sticking to the point and and being ‘pleasantly assertive’ I find helps build a more of a relationship of equals.
Lastly I always wear a Blood Cancer UK tee shirt for all medical appointments and find that it keeps my blood cancer at the forefront of everyone’s minds and sometimes medical people say to me ‘you’re the one that always wears the blood cancer tee shirts’.
Yes, I really admire and appreciate everyone who works in the NHS, it cannot be easy.
Lovely to hear your experiences - thank you for sharing
Not had such an opportunity myself, as was discharged from haematology at the local hospital and now remain on active monitoring with blood sent off to another hospital in a city not too far from me.
GP has made is clear I should keep in touch for anything / concerns etc. but the GP isn’t always the same person.
Personally, I do go to a local cancer care charity for their coffee mornings on Wednesdays and I’m also part way through some complimentary therapy provided by the same people - so yes - I’m building a good relationship with these people and the cancer patients who I see on a regular basis, and I must say how powerful it is, so good to simply sit and chat and support each other.
You are so right, but it’s definitely gotten harder with how things are done now!
So many of my appointments are on the phone these days, and you just lose those quick, natural catch-ups you get when you’re there in person.
I have a great relationship with my CNS, Kerry, but I was actually thinking about this recently—I honestly wouldn’t know her if I was stood next to her in a shop! It feels a bit sad really, when someone plays such a big part in your care but you’d walk right past them in the street.
I have my first haematology referral appointment in a couple of weeks, and have a list of questions and a symptom diary I did for a month. Hopefully she’ll be easy to talk to I get so nervous at a regular GP appointment, and have never had the same doctor the whole time I’ve been going, all very nice though (apart from one doctor who said ‘what are you so worried about it’s only Essential thrombocythemia ('ET')’). It’s lovely to hear everyones positive experiences, hoping to have the same.
Hi @Ljj thanks for being honest and telling us that you are nervous before your appointment, firstly, I am always nervous before appointments, even after 22yrs, I think that is very natural. You also reminded me that I always now tell medical people if I am am anxious or nervous, I think that it makes you human and ‘not just another patient’ and I have found that they are more likely to talk to me in another way like explaining things better or discussing my feelings.
I believe in having a positive attitude until otherwise. Please do let us know how you get on and look after yourself.
Thank you for your message Erica, I think that’s a great idea to just straight away tell her I’m a bit nervous.
I’m the same as well, stay positive until I know for sure what’s going on. It’s only really been the last couple of days I’ve become nervous again, I think it’s just because the appointments nearer.
Thanks again, everyone’s so lovely here I really appreciate it and will let you know how the appointment goes.
