"Disabled and unemployed but not a second class citizen"

Hi team,

I was going to ignore this, but I thought it was important that I share my experience in the hopes that something can be said to this individual around their work attitude/ethics.

I have cancer and a spinal condition (because of the treatment for the cancer). I worked for the same company for over 14 years during diagnosis, treatment, and eventual redundancy due to the pandemic. I have been looking for work for a few months with a lot of anxiety around finances and looking for work for the first time since acquiring a disability.

When I received treatment at the hospital recently, my doctor mentioned that if I had a health card, the co-payment cost could be cheaper. When I told them that I have a card, but I didn’t bring it with me, they kindly advised that I could call back when I got home with the details, and they would add them to the invoice.

When I called back and, I felt, clearly explained the reason for my call, the person who answered the call (they didn’t provide their details), decided I should be transferred through to the doctor and ended the conversation. I realised after leaving a message for the doctor, that the staff member answering the phone had dismissed me after finding out I wanted a concession for the treatment.

I don’t find being called a “Deary” endearing, instead I find that people in the customer service industry use it when they want to be condescending. Even if I ignore the unprofessional practice of calling me "Deary" instead of the name I had provided to them, I can’t ignore the fact that this staff member transferred me through to a treating specialist to handle a billing query instead of completing the job themselves.

I take pride in the fact that I have kept myself employed for much of my battle with brain cancer and find it a little humiliating being, as I felt I was, judged by somebody who doesn’t seem to appreciate how lucky they are to have a relatively secure public service job when many others have lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

I’m hoping this message gets through to this person's manager so that he /she can explain that, as I believe they do, public servants need to hold themselves to a higher standard than private-sector employees.

Finally, I want to make sure that me sharing this experience does not reflect badly on the rest of the team at the hospital (every other individual I have dealt with there has always acted with exceptional professionalism and compassion). This staff member didn’t identify themselves, but I believe there are only two staff members that work at this area of the hospital, and I want to make it clear that the staff member I usually deal with is always friendly and professional.