Would you make a complaint to the hospital.....

[Silvercoconut]

I have regular colonoscopies due to ulcerative colitis, for reasons of waiting lists this time it was outsourced to a local private hospital and not my usual.

I also have rheumatoid arthritis and pretty severe spinal stenosis, the hospital was totally aware of these conditions, so somewhat relevant.

I had previously informed them that I wasn't able to be collected till approx 5pm, they said that was ok, colonoscopy was at about 11.45 am.

Had the colonoscopy with sedation, as I always do, and to my horror after approx 40 mins in recovery I was escorted to a hard chair in the corridor to wait for my lift. Previously I've always gone back to the bed on the day ward, so was surprised.

Bear in mind I was still woozy from the sedation, extremely uncomfortable with my back issues, found myself drifting off back to sleep upright and twice nearly fell off the chair. They of course insisted that I had to remain until my lift arrived, so I sat there for three and a half hours at which point I got totally fed up and told them I was going to call myself a taxi home whether they liked it or not, so I signed the relevant forms and off I went.
Totally unbothered as to whether there would be somebody at home.

I'm really actually quite angry about the treatment after and don't feel it was up to standard.

Wow you sound a terrible medical professional if you believe your patients lived experience mean nothing. I would much rather speak to someone who had actually been through something then someone who had read it in a book and think they understand. If you was having an issue with your child would you rather speak to a parent or someone who had read a parenting book.

Did u have enhanced sedation ot just the normal one?

You cannot leave without a chaperone following sedation. Handover is done in person on the unit.They will keep you overnight if necessary, but under no circumstances could you book a taxi or meet meet someone elsewhere in the hospital for a lift.

It's usually hospital policy that someone picks you up after a procedure if you catch a taxi and injure yourself more it's the hospital that gets the blame

@Silvercoconut In your position I doubt that anything would be achieved by complaining - to PALS or otherwise.

What I do think that your experience has highlighted is that post procedure care varies from setting to setting. The next time you undergo such a procedure I would be asking how they anticipate you recovering. So be proactive. It seems that in modern health settings there are many situations where the staff do not have the time to think through all of the implications of a patient's other problems. They should but now you know.

Rather than listing your diagnoses, it would be better to say "after the procedure where will I be waiting because my lift will not arrive until 5 pm". Do I need to bring a blanket? Will I still be under observation? You should not have to do this but it seems like your experience shows that it might prevent future horrible waits. Plastic chairs are literally a PITA for me.

Reasonable adjustments is i difficult thing. Sometimes you can have 2 different conversations using the same words

What essentially you asked was is it alright for my chaperone to come later, you assumed the hospital intrinsically would have understood your need.

The hospital heard is there a problem if my chaperone comes later, and answered JUST that question. Yes a clued up nurse or admissions clerk might have good to ask further. But actually it wasn't relevant to their procedures as long as there was somewhere to sit.

In the end you didnt actually ask for adjustments due to your other disabilities and they did what they were asked to do. Im not sure thats complaint worthy,

or at least i dont think you will get as much value out of a complaint as it cost you to make the complaint.

I agree with you OP, you were not treated well or kindly. A complaint to PALS is justified.

If it was a private hospital you could have paid for a bed. The rooms with beds are usually not near the treatment areas.

I spent 12 hours sitting on a hard bench waiting for an op in an NHS hospital. As they checked me before going into theatre the nurse saw red marks on my back, buttocks and legs and I think they might have pulled the op due to potential infection until I said that's just from sitting on a bench for so many hours. I did get a bed for the night after, but then it was a major op and late at night by then.

Also have UC as well as other health conditions and I say YABU @op;you should organise collection earlier, it’s not the hospitals job to keep you tucked up in bed till your ride can arrive. And I’ve been in exactly the same boat and wouldn’t dream of taking up a bed I didn’t actually need.

Aftercare is important!

When I had one (coeliac) I got given a bed after for 1 hour approx

Have YOU had one? I have had an endoscope. I certainly would not want without sedation, it’s a grotty procedure with a huge amount of gagging and retching

What do you hope to get from complaining to PALS?

How long would you usually lie down after? You should have been put in a bed until this time and should definately complain that you weren't. After this time it was fine you were put in a hard chair in a waiting area rather than a recovery area because you were considered discharged from the procedure. If you'd wanted a bed for longer, you should have organised an earlier pick up so you could go back to your own bed, not organised a lift for later and expected to take up valuable NHS resources in the mean time.

To bring poor after care to their attention?

With kindness op ....Def complain !

How dreadful ! I'm already complaining about longer term hosptisl chairs in a and e.

I would have said I want to speak to someone to make sure I can't get a bed !! Or even a more comfy chair !!

Well, that's exactly it.
Accusations of being ungrateful, questioning as to why I even had sedation, just nonsensical!
I've noticed a huge disparity of treatment, some being treated like cattle, others not so much.
I have never had aftercare following a colonoscopy quite like it, I was/am not happy about it and want to voice that fact.
Maybe they will agree , maybe not, we shall see.