A woman from Hull was left outside in the rain with her granddaughter as they waited for an emergency NHS dental appointment. Julie Dixon took six-year-old Aleisha Mae to the Freetown Way Dental Practice after her face became swollen following a sleepless night suffering with bad toothache.
Miss Dixon said that when she arrived at the surgery ‘a woman on the speaker told me she was the only person working and we would have to wait outside. It was chucking down with rain and Aleisha Mae was crying in pain.’ She tried to explain to the receptionist that the weather was bad and her granddaughter was upset but was again told that they would have to wait outside due to ‘policy’. After ten minutes, the pair were let in, soaking wet; Miss Dixon was then asked to wait outside again when her daughter arrived to accompany Aleisha Mae into the dental clinic, as the surgery rules ‘stated there was only one visitor per patient’.
Miss Dixon told Hull Daily Mail that she felt let down by the ‘disgusting’ way she was treated by the staff and added that she was glad her granddaughter got treated but felt that her own treatment ‘was absolutely appalling.’ She added ‘Surely, they could have let us wait inside. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was sunny but it was absolutely chucking it down.’