Poor service from the reception staff

I would like to formally lodge a complaint regarding the unprofessional and rude conduct of the reception staff during an emergency visit to the hospital on 9 January 2026.

On this day, my uncle was brought to the hospital by ambulance from Dunnottar clinic. As family members, we accompanied him during this emergency. Despite the circumstances, we were instructed by hospital staff to obtain his file on his behalf. While we comp****, this request itself raises concern, as it should not be the responsibility of family members—especially in an emergency situation. Had no family been present, it is unclear how this process would have been handled. This indicates that proper procedures were not followed.

Upon arriving at reception, we queued as required. When we reached the front, we were asked to fetch the patient’s ID. We immediately did so and returned, only to be told that we had to go back and start the queue again. I explained that we had already been assisted and had only stepped away briefly to retrieve the requested document.

The receptionist assisting us, whose name is Sizwe, responded by shouting at us and stated that to “make their lives easy” we were supposed to bring the hospital card. We explained that this was an emergency and that it was impossible to have a hospital card on hand. He dismissively said he did not want to hear any “stories” and insisted on the hospital card.

This manner of communication was extremely rude, condescending, and inappropriate—particularly given that we were dealing with a medical emergency involving a family member. What made the situation worse was that the file was already in his possession and within close proximity, yet he chose to be deliberately unhelpful.

When we informed him that we would be reporting his behavior, he responded that we could report him and that he did not care, implying that he routinely gets away with such conduct.

This experience was distressing and unacceptable. Hospital reception staff are often the first point of contact in critical situations, and their behavior should reflect professionalism, empathy, and respect. I trust that this matter will be taken seriously and addressed accordingly to prevent similar incidents in the future. I will very disappointed with the hospital management should this not be attended to accordingly as failure to do so will propagate this behaviour.