We live in the catchment area for the hospital and my husband, who has severe health conditions, has experienced serious failings in his care, which I can’t detail here because we’re currently seeking legal advice. My own elderly mother was admitted after an internal bleed and the standard of care on the geriatric ward was atrocious. She was discharged in someone elses’ dirty clothes before I could get there with her own, and when I got her home I discovered a previously undiagnosed breast tumour which had undergone a growth spurt during her stay, and which was clearly visible - had they been washing her and changing her nightgown, they couldn’t fail to have missed it. This this was despite a history of breast cancer treated at the hospital and admission for cancer investigation.
When we were referred back to the oncologist, on checking, the tumour was visible on scans they had done as an inpatient and had been missed. When we complained no-one would take responsibility.
I have two neighbours whose spouses were admitted for surgery during the pandemic. Both had LFT’s for Covid which were positive. They were not isolated, but placed on a Covid ward and a PCR test was done. The results of the PCR tests, which were sent to their mobile phones, were both negative. They were both readmitted with Covid as a result and both died.
Before these experiences, I would have agreed with this verdict, but my experiences at the hospital and those of my family and friends make me very uneasy about this verdict.