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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Hospital with DM - unbelievable!

37 replies

BumpingFuglies · 23/04/2012 22:31

Am disgusted with today's events. DM had suspected stroke this morn. Ambulance arrived promptly, DM and my step Dad go off to hospital.
I go ahead in car.

DM waits 4 HOURS to see doc who orders CT scan. Waits a further 3 HOURS to be told scan does not show stroke. DM very distressed. Her eyes are pointing in opposite directions. She can't see.

Meantime, there is a man calling for help in side room. 2 nurses and 2 HCA's walk past and ignore. Finally a doctor goes in, hearing the man's cry for help. This is in A&E.

DM is moved to another area (ESS I think). There is an elderly lady who needs a wee. She has been calling for about 15 mins. Patient in next bed (in gown) brings her the bed pan and shuts curtains. Lady does wee and tells other patient she has finished. Patient in gown goes looking for staff member, after pressing the call button. 15 mins pass. Finally a nurse comes in and patient says "the lady has finished". Nurse replies "I only have one pair of hands". Meanwhile elderly lady is stuck on bed pan.

I'm fucked off to fuck with my DM's experience and that of other patients.

To top it all off a nurse pops in to DM's cubicle and says "I'm here to do your catheter". Staff had been trying to get a catheter into the lady in the next cubicle. I said, very quietly, that I thought it may be the lady next door. Nurse storms out and says "I will decide that!".

??????

OP posts:
AKMD · 23/04/2012 22:32

Name & shame.

3littlefrogs · 23/04/2012 22:34

It sounds appalling, but, sadly not unusual. I am very sorry to hear about your experience. Has your mother been admitted?

ILoveHorridHenry · 23/04/2012 22:38

so sorry to hear about your mum :(

I used to be a hca and thankfully the majority of my collegues were great and really cared and looked after their patients. I loved the job as hard as it was. Unfortunately dismissiveness and lack of basic care can be the norm in some places, its heartbreaking but sad thing is is that the nurses and managers could do so much more. I wish they would bring back matron, i swear to God.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 23/04/2012 22:39

It's shit isn't it! When my DGF was in the geriatric ward before he died, he had trouble swallowing. He had turkey mince, mash and gravy, twice a day for a month! The elderly man in the next bed had serious oedema, and was bed bound. He was hoisted out of bed into a wheelchair with no head or foot rests, and left for four hours. He was trying to sleep with his head on the table. He called six times for the loo and to be put back to bed. After an hour of asking, I went to the nurses station and asked that they help him. I was told in no uncertain terms that it was TEA TIME, and and he would have to wait there until everyone had eaten, and that I should return to my own Grandfather! It was another hour at least before he was returned to bed!

flibbertywidget · 23/04/2012 22:40

Shock - oh how sad for all of you. Acute illness is so traumatic and can be made far worse by A&E. heartbreaking. I hope your DM is better?

Original poster
BumpingFuglies · 23/04/2012 22:40

No, mum not admitted, she insisted on coming home and I was happy for her to do that! Basically her eyes don't move together, if she moves her right eye to the right, her left eye stays to the left. We are taking her to another hospital tomorrow I hope.

OP posts:
Toughasoldboots · 23/04/2012 22:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

3littlefrogs · 23/04/2012 22:41

I took my elderly neighbour to A&E with classic signs of a bleed into her brain following a head injury.

I am a community nurse - AND I was still in my uniform. Could I get anyone in A&E to take any notice of what I was telling them? No chance. Each nurse we saw assumed that the lady was "demented".

Only once I managed to find a doctor, who actually listened, did I feel I could leave her (her son was present) in their care. The doctor arranged a CT scan and they kept her in for 2 days.

I think elderly people automatically get substandard care, and it is only going to get worse.

I am in my 50s, and I dread getting old and needing care of any sort.

Minshu · 23/04/2012 22:42

That's terrible. Hope you get better care next time.

Original poster
BumpingFuglies · 23/04/2012 22:45

Horrid - I have met some lovely HCAs, nurses and doctors. I just wish they had been there for my mum.

Saggy - That's sad

Flibberty - just don't know

Thanks all. Think I needed a vent. No doubt there will be other points of view, and I appreciate that I'm only seeing things from mine and DM's.

OP posts:
Original poster
BumpingFuglies · 23/04/2012 22:48

3littlefrogs - God I'm shocked at that.

OP posts:
fluffypillow · 23/04/2012 22:50

This is so sad, but not uncommon. I've had similar experiences. Hope your Mum is better soon.

It really is disgusting.

ddubsgirl · 23/04/2012 22:53

my mil had 2 bleeds,both missed and sent home,lucky she made pretty much a full recovery,if not happy take back to a&e she should be on stroke ward x

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 23/04/2012 22:53

I broke my arm badly a few years ago, (upper arm, bent the wrong way) falling from a pony. An ambulance car was sent, but being a larger lady, and in shock, he couldn't get me up from the ground alone, so I had to wait for a proper ambulance. I waited 3 hours from fall to ambulance arrival. I was so cold by then, that the paramedic couldn't administer morphine because my veins has shut down. On arrival at A & E I was put in an armless chair, supporting my broken arm with my good arm, and abandoned. It was 2 hours since my last breath of entonox and I'd been given nothing else. I waited another 2 hours to be seen, during which time, my mother had to take me to the loo, help me with my trousers and wipe me, as I was still holding the broken arm. I got so uncomfortable supporting the arm, that Mum went and found a nurse and insisted that she give me something to support the arm. I was given a pillow.
All in all, I was seen more than 5 hours after the accident, spent the last 3 hours with no pain relief, and the break hanging.

LadySybilDeChocolate · 23/04/2012 22:55

My mother was discharged from her local hospital with an infection induced dementia. They didn't realise that she had an infection (never bothered to take her temperature or check her urine) and thought she was mad. She was still delerious when she fell at home and shattered her femur. 2 and a half years later she's still waiting for a hip replacement! Bastards. I sued them on her behalf.

Original poster
BumpingFuglies · 23/04/2012 22:55

Toughasold boots - who is PALS please?

OP posts:
Original poster
BumpingFuglies · 23/04/2012 22:58

ddubsgirl - did mil have CT scan?

OP posts:
Springforward · 23/04/2012 23:03

PALS is patient advice and information service.

Springforward · 23/04/2012 23:04

Sorry - liaison, not information.

Original poster
BumpingFuglies · 23/04/2012 23:07

Thanks Spring. Just googled that for hospital. Will deal with that side when Mum sorted.

Doing my head in wondering what this could be, just want Mum to be ok.

OP posts:
Noqontrol · 23/04/2012 23:12

Crikey, I thought there was a protocol with suspected stroke patients as the first 3 hours are critical. My husband had a stroke last year, the ambulance were at the door within 3 mins of the 999 call, into hosp ten mins later and all the tests that could be done and needed to be done was carried out at breakneck speed. Im sorry your dm had such a shite experience, I do hope things will be ok. Definitely go and see someone else ASAP.

ddubsgirl · 23/04/2012 23:14

not at first no,told us she had gastric flu ffs!!!sent her home after 2 days(sunday) on thrusday she had another bleed but fil didnt say anything just thought the flu had got worse by time he told us it was weekend and wouldnt call doc out as it wouldnt be the family doc all the time i was saying it was a stroke(had seen someone have one in front of me) called gp out monday he took 1 look and called 999 was then they did something was now over week later and had op 2 weeks later to clip the bleeds.

my sil works as ca on the stroke ward here and she would tell you to take her back,very small window to give her lifesaving drugs,pls pls take her back,even if to a different hospital xx

PigletUnrepentant · 23/04/2012 23:17

IS there another hospital in the area, if so, take her there, the first few hours after a stroke are critical.

flibbertywidget · 23/04/2012 23:18

god these stories are so depressing. It shouldn't be this hard right? I fear for my mum. She is an ex nurse, now in her 70's, but already has so many things wrong with her, although you wouldn't know it. And already the care is substandard.

SaggyOldClothCatPuss · 23/04/2012 23:20

I have so many of these stories! I don't have much faith in the NHS any more. DSD has chronic pancreatitis. He was Ill for many months, lost loads of weight, he was skin and bone. His consultant wouldn't see him, 'we know what's wrong with you, what else do you want me to do'? It got to the point, when DSD looked like he'd been in Belsen, when Mum said 'enough'! She took him to A&E, and refused to leave until they did something. It turned out that DSD had undiagnosed diabetes, and had been in Ketosis? For months. His body was just eating itself! He's now on insulin, and ok, if it had been down to the consultant, he would be dead.