Nell McCaffety Refused Treatment

I read an article in the Irish Times today that shocked me. It's about one woman: Nell McCafferty and a neurosurgeons' refusal to treat her because she was 'terse' with his staff.

Boo bloody hoo for his staff, I say!

Now Nell is not every ones' sup of tea. She's opinionated. She's testy. She's aggressive and to be honest she annoys the hell out of me a lot of the time. But that's neither her nor there.

The bottom line is: we have all, for a long time, dealt with the unspoken knowledge that you have to somehow 'charm' neurosurgeons or their secretaries in order to try and speed up or gain access that you might not otherwise get.

I can't tell you how many people have reported to me that they receive appalling treatment from these people but are afraid to speak up because they don't want to compromise their case.

Now it seems that they are right. Be mean to the staff and you will be refused treatment. Or, as in this case, turn up only to have had your appointment cancelled while the letter informing you was 'in the post'. Yeah.

The neurosurgeon in question and his staff should be ashamed of themselves. It seems that we all have to be humble, and sheepish, and grovelling in order to get what in this case is life-saving treatment.

So. A woman - a worried woman who had a brain aneurysm diagnosed (a condition which has caused death and devastation among her immediate family) was 'terse' with his staff. My God who does he think he is?

I think Nell should make a formal complaint both to the hospital and whatever his governing body is and all this blather that he is coming out with, saying that because he cancelled her appointment she was never his patient and he therefore has no responsibility to her should be seen for what it is: a powerful man, demanding a subserviant demeanor for him and for his staff from us lesser important mortals.

Aside from how you feel about Nell McCafferty, in this instance: Nell is me. Nell is you. A sick person seeking treatment.

So you can be refused that treatment if the staff don't like you now???? Well, what we always suspected is true then.

Photo shows Nell McCafferty in conversation with school girls.