How to prevent pain and ignore illnesses in the NHS

[JustMe]

Colour of marker depends on the colour of your skin (and no that is not a racist comment---simply a question of visibility).  Must admit that I have considered doing the same thing with my own pain which is always hard to point out to the doctor.

[bresail]

Today 1130 hrs I had a bizarre 'phone call from the health centre, telling me that my x-rays had been seen and no problems had been found, but that, some arthritis had been found in my hip and back and they were sure that I knew this already. I did know this.  I asked if anything had been found reference my stomach problems and was told that there were no kidney stones, My next question was what will happen now, reference pain management and difficulties eating, drinking and dumping the above. Was told that that would be sorted by the surgeons consultation. I hadn't received notifications yet.

I was asked what my problem was with what was happening to me.

I gave my opinion that what seemed to be an urgent attempt to make contact with my doctor, simply petered out, and that communications between the health centre and GBH and vice versa were abysmal, The answer to this was, "It seems normal to me."

I received an appointment this afternoon for the consultation with the surgeon for the 21st of Jan at GBH it is dated the 14th of Jan yesterday.

Now I'm getting bored writing pseudo legalese.

I'll try to fit in a joke tomorrow.

Regards,

Rex.

[Frances144]

Well, it is a start, just not a very satisfactory one. I admire you for putting it out there. I wish I had done it when my back went last year. It would've given me some perspective on the time frame and yet again the total inability of the National Health to communicate.

[bresail]

Today, I go for the surgeons check to see if I have a problem or not.

Nothing has really changed but I'm now used to the pain.

I am however upbeat.

I have, in the last few days received a multi choice, "Patient Experience Survey," issued by NHS Scotland. This is reference my last stay in GBH. These, "Patient Experience Surveys," are a standard form, which I believe must be completed before a complaint can be accepted.

Now if this is so, how can it be law? Or is it just a ploy to give the people in charge an opportunity to say, " we are aware of the problem and are now making changes."

Last week there was another example of this in, "The Shetland Times," reference cleanliness in the GBH.

How can it be possible for a highly paid official not to know the failings or problems that are happening under their command. Problems that include cleanliness, inefficiencies, staff that are not up to date, inadequate staff, and a severe lack of empathy. Even worse is that a lot of staff know that there are these problems but are afraid to rock the boat.

The official is being paid to prevent all of these things, if they can't do this, sack them for being inefficient,

I must now SHOUT, THIS IS NOT ALL STAFF!

My last stay, which I believe lasted 1 1/2 days, was abysmal with a total lack of sleep. A poor man was shouting out,  "Somebody help me please," this went on for hours and I really mean hours. I finally found a nurse and asked if it would help if I went and sat and spoke to him. I was told it would do no good. This man was afraid, he was not making up his fear, he was genuinely feeling it, I do not think many patients slept that night,

There is more to this 6 weeks stay in GBH , (it really was only 1 1/2 days).

This includes how I was signed out and a nurse that told me that I was telling lies.

Should I fill in this survey?

I don't know, I could however complete the paper and copy it to here, as well.

Regards,

Rex.

[paulb]

the cleaning of gbh is purely down to staffing numbers. the trouble you had is mainly down to that GBH is a small hospital its not possible to have the patient mix on a small ward that happens up here were compromises are not made. the chap shouting out would at a guess either had dementia or was coming down off something. its not legal to medicate a noisy patient if there condition does not warrant it. often the staff would love to stay with a distressed patient however there are only 3 staff members on at night priorities have to be set. remember the wards cater for every condition going and the full age range. do the staff ignore a dying patient/ seriously sick one to sit with a disturbed one. thats what the staff cuts have resulted in. i know for a fact that the staff on both wards are dedicated and caring. those that are not do not last long on the wards. SERIOUSLY THE NURSES DO CARE.

[Ghostrider]

the trouble you had is mainly down to that GBH is a small hospital its not possible to have the patient mix on a small ward that happens up here were compromises are not made.

 

Compromises are one thing, but when you compromise and it results in an inferior level of care and/or conditions that would be considered unacceptable in any other circumstance, its a compromise too far. Are we supposed to just sit back and accept a second rate service because of where we happen to live.

 

 

the chap shouting out would at a guess either had dementia or was coming down off something. its not legal to medicate a noisy patient if there condition does not warrant it.

 

And leaving some guy in such a state of paranoia and delusion that he's so scared that he can neither keep quiet or sleep, isn't condition enough to warrant even a mild sedative? Never mind that his behaviour was creating an impossible situation for anyone else in the room, and the consequences for their health.

 

i know for a fact that the staff on both wards are dedicated and caring. those that are not do not last long on the wards. SERIOUSLY THE NURSES DO CARE.

 

I'll run with that, subject to the following amendments.... "SERIOUSLY SOME OF THE NURSES DO CARE".

[Ghostrider]

Should I fill in this survey?

I don't know, I could however complete the paper and copy it to here,.....

 

I think I could see this as having a certain amount of potential.

 

Good Luck with your appointment today, hopefully the outcome leads to a speedy resolution of your problem. Its taken them long enough to get this far.

[unlinkedstudent]

 

Should I fill in this survey?

I don't know, I could however complete the paper and copy it to here,.....

 

I think I could see this as having a certain amount of potential.

 

Good Luck with your appointment today, hopefully the outcome leads to a speedy resolution of your problem. Its taken them long enough to get this far.

 

 

Alternatively, just phone their Complaints Officer.  She's pretty good.

[Frances144]

I wish I had done all this when I was at Woodend.

Bresail, I am thinking of you and totally understand what you are writing.  By putting it here, you have, if nothing else, made me feel not so alone with all the problems I had last year.  

 

I was a trained nurse.  I did nights.  I sat with patients.  There were two of us on a 24 bed surgical ward.  We found time, we found someone, we did not give up and make the patients put up.

[as]

There are some lovely nurses at the GBH and ARI that really do care. ....and then there are some others who are rude, uncaring and I wonder what ever attracted them to the profession in the first place.

 

This is the short version of our own horror story of the GBH, ARI and their complete inability to communicate amongst themselves, GP, patient and their family.

 

Elderly patient is kept in GBH while awaiting transfer to ARI to see specialist at GP's urgent request. Foot wound is not treated/ dressed at GBH in a number of days (!). GBH consultant decides that patient "does not need specialist appointment" and takes it upon himself to cancel said appointment. Discharges patient home on Christmas Eve because "it's just a bit of Cellulitis.". GP (upon hearing this from family) moves heaven and earth to reinstate appointment which was days away. Gangrene set in. District nurse/ GP homevisit on a daily basis.

When patient eventually arrives in ARI in the New Year to see surgeon they have no option left but to amputate leg above knee.

 

Very interesting that same specialist said to patient at the last check-up:

"If you develop any symptoms in your other foot, call my secretary immediately. Come and see me directly, you will be admitted to ARI without delay. Don't bother to go to your local hospital."

[shetlandpeat]

 

Very interesting that same specialist said to patient at the last check-up:

"If you develop any symptoms in your other foot, call my secretary immediately. Come and see me directly, you will be admitted to ARI without delay. Don't bother to go to your local hospital."

This practice is not new, while I was under a consultant for the possibility of skin cancer, I had the same order, and did go back to see him, I also had another adnormal growth removed not so long ago, and that was the same, no doctor just straight in, a different PCT as well.

[bresail]

Ghost has already remarked on this quote below, however a couple of more observations.

 

paulb.

the cleaning of gbh is purely down to staffing numbers. the trouble you had is mainly down to that GBH is a small hospital its not possible to have the patient mix on a small ward that happens up here were compromises are not made. the chap shouting out would at a guess either had dementia or was coming down off something. its not legal to medicate a noisy patient if there condition does not warrant it. often the staff would love to stay with a distressed patient however there are only 3 staff members on at night priorities have to be set. remember the wards cater for every condition going and the full age range. do the staff ignore a dying patient/ seriously sick one to sit with a disturbed one. thats what the staff cuts have resulted in. i know for a fact that the staff on both wards are dedicated and caring. those that are not do not last long on the wards. SERIOUSLY THE NURSES DO CARE.

1.the cleaning of gbh is purely down to staffing numbers. (The non cleaning of GBH is highly dangerous and life threatening, Nurse Nightingale sorted that out).

2.the trouble you had is mainly down to that GBH is a small hospital its not possible to have the patient mix on a small ward that happens up here were compromises are not made. the chap shouting out would at a guess either had dementia or was coming down off something. its not legal to medicate a noisy patient if there condition does not warrant it. ( So it is obvious that the man was disturbed but his condition did not warrant sedation then maybe the other 30 patients should have been sedated. Note also that I said that, I finally found a nurse as she was going back into the coffee room at the back, there was not enough room for the other 30 patients. As for sedating the noisy patient a call to his relatives could have sorted that out.)

i know for a fact that the staff on both wards are dedicated and caring. those that are not do not last long on the wards.

SERIOUSLY THE NURSES DO CARE. (Then why are we having this discussion, am I and others that have had bad experiences, just making up these stories? Some of these incidents are verging on being criminal acts complete with accomplices, who take part by condoning these acts.)

Regards,

Rex.

[bresail]

Update to yesterdays surgeons appointment.

My appointment was for 1110hrs.

I was told that the clinic was running a little late, which was fine, these things happen amd they kept me updated on what was going on. This, the outpatient department has always been ultra efficient in my view, friendly, to the point and they smile.

The appointment was a half hour late which as I have said was ok.

I wasn't seen by the surgeon but by a resident hospital doctor. I was given a thorough questioning about my symptoms, they were the same as they had been on previous times. I was also examined by belly pressing, coughing and rectal probing. Part the way through these questions, I became fuzzy and I am sure part of the time I was incoherent. I remember apologising to the doctor many times and saying that I was normally a logical person but did not know what was happening to me. I was extremely upset but I don't know why.

Even now I remember very little about the rest of the session. I was told two things that were going to happen in the future, one was that I was going to have a CT scan of my digestive system the other I cannot remember.

The above episode could have been because of a lack of sleep, a lack of food, frustration or I am losing the plot .

I got home and fell straight asleep until 1800ish. Which meant that my best pal, my dog was an hour late for his food,

Regards,

Rex.

[paulb]

at least things are happening. lack of sleep can have a big effect on you. guessing stress won't have helped either.

[unlinkedstudent]

at least things are happening.

 

They are?  He can't lumpsooker eat, he can't pee, he can't crap - things might be happening, but they sure as hell aren't happening for Bresail!  Quite incredible that he's still with us.  Being starved and dehydrated can have an effect too.

 

Bresail, any chance someone can accompany you to your next visit?  Hell, I'll even volunteer.