Agoraphobic Blackpool mum who needed eye surgery has faith restored in NHS thanks to CHEC Blackpool
Despite numerous pleas to her GP surgery for a home visit, she was denied help even when what started off as a stye soon began to grow into a lump, causing her eyelid to droop.
A mum-of-two suffering from agoraphobia and finding it hard to even leave the house said she lost faith in the NHS after she was refused help from her GP because she couldn’t visit the surgery in person.
Chantelle Aitchison from Blackpool needed an operation after developing a cyst on her eye. But her crippling agoraphobia, an anxiety condition making it difficult for people to leave their homes or visit unfamiliar places because they feel unsafe or worried, made it impossible for her to seek the help she needed.
Despite numerous pleas to her GP surgery for a home visit, she was denied help even when what started off as a stye soon began to grow into a lump, causing her eyelid to droop. Chantelle said she even began to worry the problem would affect her eyesight.
Despite this, Chantelle still didn’t receive any help from her GP, causing her to lose faith in UK healthcare altogether – a sector she had once worked in as an Healthcare Assistant for many years.
The 30-year-old said: “Agoraphobia completely took over my life.
“Before coming to CHEC, I hadn't set foot inside a GP clinic for three years.
“I completely lost faith in the healthcare system,” she said. “My former GP basically told me, when you get over your agoraphobia, come back to us and we'll help.”
Agoraphobia is estimated to affect more than a million people in the UK alone.
Following a house move and a fresh start, Chantelle decided to change GPs as the cyst continued to grow. This gave her the push to step foot in a GP surgery for the first time in three years, and she was referred to CHEC Blackpool.
Feeling it was important to make the CHEC team aware of her agoraphobia and nervous about how they’d respond, based on her previous experiences, she contacted CHEC Blackpool before her appointment to inform them about her condition. But this time, thankfully, things were different.
“The man I spoke to was incredibly reassuring,” she said. “From that initial call, I never picked up a negative vibe from any member of staff.”
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On the day of her appointment, Chantelle arrived with her mum feeling very anxious and distressed. But the Blackpool CHEC team acted quickly and wasted no time in doing what they could to support her, moving her into a private room, offering water and checking on her.
The former healthcare assistant on Blackpool Victoria Hospital’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit said: “Beforehand, I was terrified because they didn't know the full severity of my panic attacks. But from the moment I walked in, they understood the situation immediately.
“Being judged by people is a major trigger for my anxiety, but at CHEC, I felt I could express how I was feeling without having to hide it.”
Although Chantelle was extremely nervous about undergoing surgery, she said the care she received throughout the procedure helped her feel supported.
This included allowing Chantelle to keep her coping aids with her, such as headphones to listen to music, wear her neck fan, and hold her sensory toy.
“The communication was fantastic,” Chantelle said. “They explained everything step by step and took their time. The team stopped whenever I needed a break and reassured me every few seconds. They checked on me constantly to make sure I was feeling safe and Katie held my hand throughout the entire procedure. Good communication is vital for keeping me calm, and they executed it brilliantly.”
The surgery was a huge success and Chantelle said removing the cyst has made ‘a massive difference’ to her life, allowing her to feel comfortable and less self-conscious. But it wasn’t just about the surgery for her. She says her experience at CHEC has made her feel more confident, helped to reduce her anxiety, and even rebuilt the trust she’d previously lost in the healthcare system.
She said: “Since having the surgery, my anxiety levels have dropped and my self-esteem has had a huge boost. But it wasn't just about having the surgery. CHEC restored something I had lost due to my previous experiences – they restored my faith in healthcare.
“My previous GP had failed to make me feel listened to, safe, or heard. Walking into CHEC was completely different – the staff listened, kept me calm, and didn't judge me for how I reacted.”
The experience even gave Chantelle the confidence to revisit CHEC Blackpool to give the team some gifts to say thank you.
She said: “I will never forget how those staff members made me feel, gave me my confidence back, and removed all my self-doubt.
“When I got home after the surgery and looked in the mirror, I thought, how on earth did I just manage to do that? I couldn't have done it without them.
“I felt I needed to go the extra mile, beyond sending a thank you card. I wanted the team to realise that this wasn't just another routine surgery procedure for them. It fundamentally changed how I view healthcare.”
Recommending CHEC to others
After her life-changing experience, Chantelle said she’d recommend CHEC as a place to go for surgery, especially for those people with a condition like agoraphobia.
“If anyone is hesitant about receiving treatment at CHEC, I would reassure them completely,” she said. “Worry is natural, but the care here is exceptional. Having worked in healthcare and been a patient in both the NHS and private sectors, I can say it comes down to the people. Every staff member I met, right up to management, was phenomenal. Their natural compassion, patience, and care made all the difference. Anyone with health anxiety or phobias would be making the best decision by choosing CHEC.
“I walked into CHEC thinking I was just having a cyst removed. I walked out with so much more than that. I left with more confidence in myself, more trust in healthcare, and the belief that I could access healthcare again in the future. I felt safe, listened to, understood and never once judged. For someone who hadn’t stepped into a healthcare setting for three years because of agoraphobia, that meant far more than just having surgery. It gave me a part of my life back.”
About CHEC
Founded in 2012, CHEC is a leading provider of high quality, efficient community-based healthcare, delivered together with the NHS. With over 30 hospitals and 65 community treatment centres across England, CHEC makes specialist ophthalmology, gastroenterology, dermatology, and Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) services more readily accessible in local communities.
CHEC's mission is to reduce waiting times and offer patients greater choice through its state-of-the-art multi-specialty community hospitals. During 2025/26, CHEC delivered over 580,000 patient appointments annually with patient satisfaction above 98% and clinical outcomes continuing to exceed national benchmarks across key pathways.
CHEC Blackpool is based on Avroe Crescent in South Shore.
For more information about their services visit the website here.