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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be pissed off with the NHS?

70 replies

loflo · 03/08/2010 17:21

So DS was really poorly in May and in our local hospital. And they did nothing. For six days. As I watched my little boy literally fall to pieces. I was the one who phoned and arranged required tests at a larger hospital seventy miles away due to a crap consultant being too busy (looking at holiday villas online - honestly).

Tests done and DS was rushed back to said larger hospital and thankfully was treated really well.

After a lot of thought and getting legal advice we made a formal complaint about our local hospitial. And we were told we would have a response within 20 working days. And guess what? No response. So I called and was told they needed longer. So I have bit my tongue for another 20 days. Today is 40 days since the initial complaint and have now been told its likely to take at least another week because of folk being on holiday (in their nice villas )

So AIBU to want to throw my toys out and go to the press or should I just bite my tongue and wait for the response?

OP posts:
loflo · 03/08/2010 21:16

I don't think we had a PALS team huggly. Or if there was no-one told us about it. Other patients parents were even distressed at DSs condition. It was just awful.

OP posts:
babybarrister · 03/08/2010 21:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

edam · 03/08/2010 21:19

I had cause to make a serious complaint once (well actually three times but only actually complained once). I wrote to the hospital outlining what had happened, why it was wrong, and how it made me feel. It was something I could have sued them for.

Got a detailed reply, a full apology, and reassurance that they were re-training the member of staff, issuing guidelines to the whole team (who should have known this stuff, but hey, if it reminded them that's good) and told that they had discussed my case at a departmental meeting.

I was quite happy with that response - even if they only did it to ward off a legal case.

purplewednesday · 03/08/2010 21:22

btw why is heebie allowed to look at villas but not your DS consultant?

northern is not after the inside leg measurement, you don't need to be sarky.

You presented us with a scenario and asked if you were being unreasonable. And as this thread is unraveling you keep giving more snippets which are painting a different picture.

You have clearly had a hard time, but in answer to your original query, YABU.

YANBU to want a complaint answered in a timely fashion.

IME many consultants don't read all the notes on a ward round - they rely on their juniors to present an accurate history. Sounds like this didn't happen.It could be that a sensible thing to request is that the juniors are reminded how to do this properly.

loflo · 03/08/2010 21:23

I am kind of hoping to get something similar edam. But time will tell!

OP posts:
purplewednesday · 03/08/2010 21:24

loflo by medication I meant giving PR diazepam to stop a fit.

Anti epileptic drugs wouldn't be given until a diagnosis was confirmed. Insulin wouldn't be given to a pt unless diabetes was confirmed etc etc

loflo · 03/08/2010 21:27

Cos I bet she reads notes purple . The problem is I was gutted by DSs treatment and now even more upset that they are dealing with our complaint in an offhand manner. So they are almost two seperate things. If that makes sense?

There appeared to be a different junior on every ward round so that may have been a problem too.

But DS is now well warned. No more being admitted to hospitals on Fridays in the summer

OP posts:
loflo · 03/08/2010 21:28

PS sorry if I came across as sarky northern I just am unclear about what information you felt I wasn't giving.

OP posts:
Northernlurker · 03/08/2010 21:28

I reckon you will get an apology and an explanation. What you won't get is the consultant flayed in public.

Thanks Purple - that is exactly what I meant.

expatinscotland · 03/08/2010 21:30

This happens even if you are in a country with no NHS and paying through the nose for it.

loflo · 03/08/2010 21:31

He has been flayed in public this year already Northern so will be glad of some time out of the local press I reckon......

OP posts:
edam · 03/08/2010 21:42

purple, as far as I can see, loflo has been answering questions. That's why we've found out more. What do you expect her to do, refuse to answer because she's not allowed to expand on the OP?

FWIW I developed epilepsy as an adult and I'd be horrified if I had to watch my child fitting every half an hour for six days while staff merely 'observed' rather than actually doing anything useful.

Fortunately when I started having seizures, I happened to live next door to a major teaching hospital that is a specialist centre for neurology. I was on the drugs after my third seizure and had an
EEG and MRI brain scan and all the appropriate care, swiftly and without delay.

Sadly not everyone is that lucky. Friend of my sister's developed epilepsy as an adult a year later. There's only a DGH near her, with no neurologists.

She waited a YEAR to be referred out of area for a consultant and was merely whacked on the bog standard old-fashioned drug which was not right for her, not right for a woman of child-bearing age at all, and has been left permanently brain injured as a result of all the seizures she endured while waiting to see the consultant.

Actually despite the overall excellent care at the teaching hospital, I did come up against a senior lecturer who was awful and I would have been quite within my rights to complain about him. Only I was too vulnerable, scared and confused to have the strength to do it.

Told a specialist nurse who didn't do anything to record it or take it up, but did arrange that at future appointments I saw him, not the horrible lecturer. Still feel guilty that other patients will have been subject to the doctor's horrible behaviour though.

loflo · 03/08/2010 21:52

Hope your epilepsy is well controlled edam? DS was prescribed Tegretol and is doing really well on it.

Thats the really scary thing with epilepsy - it seems to be the luck of the draw with the care you get.

But after being admitted to the childrens hospital DS very quickly had his seizures brought under control and had an MRI.

They really got it but the neurologist basically said that if DS had been left much longer his long term mental health would have been affected too .

OP posts:
edam · 03/08/2010 23:19

yes, I'm fine, loflo, as far as having epilepsy goes I'm remarkably unaffected. Just have to keep taking the tablets! This probably has a lot to do with living next door to a specialist neurology department so I got good and swift diagnostics and treatment.

Hope ds does very well too. You are right that leaving it much longer could have been very dangerous. Am astonished the docs and nurses thought just recording his very frequent seizures was OK. How about some treatment, huh?

WetAugust · 03/08/2010 23:37

If you feel a response to your complaint is overdue then write to your Mp and ask him to investigate.

If you feel the Consultant was truly incompetent then report him to the GMC.

Going to the newspapers just results in the hospital refuting your allegations or trotting out the hackneyed "Lessons will be learnt".

AllSheepareWhite · 03/08/2010 23:40

Each NHS trust has guidelines for responding to complaints. If they are not sticking to their own complaints policy by responding withing the 20 working day deadline take it to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. See this link www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-complaint 0345 015 4033 . You have a right to escalate your complaint to the Ombudsman if they have not satisfactorily answered your complaint or you are not happy with the response (or just not answered you at all). Oh and request your son's medical file under the data protection act so that you and any solicitor can see the notes. It will cost you in the region of £10, if you leave it to a solicitor it will cost you much more for their time and if you can get legal aid it will use up part of the budget that may be needed for a court case.

tutu100 · 03/08/2010 23:53

Those of you questioning the OP arranging for her DC to be seen at a different hospital this happened to me as well, but within the same hospital. My Ds2 has an undiagnosed bowel problem once the surgical team decided it wasn't a surgical problem we were discharged from hospital and told the medical team would be in touch shortly. I waited 2 weeks despite us having to return to hospital everyday for ds2 to have his bowel washed out so they knew the med team hadn't contacted us as they asked us everyday if we had an appointment.

Finally one of the SHO's said no one was answering her requests for an appointment for ds2 so she gave me the direct number for the consultant and asked me to phone myself to see if I had any more luck. I did this and that was how we finally got an appointment.

I had 2 months overall of being told I had a very sick baby (initially we were told he was incredibly sick and may need operating on within hours) and then all of a sudden when we finally saw the gastro consultant we were sort of brushed off with a "lets see if he'll grow out of it".

I am still worried now that they may have missed something but have never complained as I'm worried it may affect ds2's future care.

So it does happen that parent end up having to sort out their child's care.

tutu100 · 03/08/2010 23:54

Sorry that turned into a real rant, I didn't mean it to. I just really sympathise and guess my feelings must be stronger than I thought they were.

Jaybird37 · 04/08/2010 00:28

Unfortunately, it is quite common for hospitals not to respond to complaints on time.

I would write again giving them 7 days from the date of the letter for a full reponse otherwise you will go to the Heath Ombudsman.

AvMA (Action against medical accidents) is a great charity which can give you advice and support in your complaint, or recommend a specialist solicitor.

Heebiejeebie · 04/08/2010 06:59

Every hospital has a PALS (patient advice and liaison ) team who are there to support, inform and to ensure that complaints are dealt with thoroughly and efficiently. Just ring switchboard and ask to be put through to them.

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