St Bartholomew's Hospital 2023-07-10 Person 4 5 0

The care I have received in the past and even over the weekend from almost all the staff within GUCH, Endocrinology and pulmonary cardiology teams have been exceptional. So, I am at odds with myself to write a less than glowing review. My cardiac device and body disagreed from an infection. Dr Will discussed what had happened, sought further advice from his professor, I assume- Mr Hunter (I have not met him as he is not my cardiologist and this was essentially emergency care. I was informed that removal needed to be immediate and Will took the care necessary to put my mind at ease and transferred me to ward C where I met the usual incredible set of medical care practitioners. However, it fell apart when the perfectly pleasant man Dr Nikhil Aluwalia decided to proceed; after telling me initially that his senior consultant will be coming to perform the procedure, but this is not an issue as Nik should be fully qualified, given his status. Unfortunately, this is where his 'disruptor' beliefs met his cavalier attitude and combined with a total disrespect of me as a woman and more specifically presented the very thing black people-specifically black women have been accusing doctors of getting Wong for some time. It seems Dr Nikhil Ahluwalia believes I could not feel pain. Let us recall that my wound site was infected. Yet, he did not wait for the local anaesthetic to work. He began, I explained that I was not feeling pressure but actual sharp pain, he paused and then continue, repeating that it would be over soon, 'and it is much like giving birth'. To which I duly told him not all people go through less than traumatic births. Only then did he seem to understand and he certainly was deaf to my stating that I can still feel him tugging and sharpness. When will doctors like Nik learn that patients are not for practicing until then get it right? When will black people get treated with dignity and due care especially with pain management? And, how dare a male doctor allude to teh pain of childbirth when he has never experienced giving birth to a little human? I am so very disappointed and angry that something like that is happening with such a young doctor,it seems that for all the research and new training on treating women and more specifically black women; nothing has changed!