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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect proper bedding for dd in hospital

105 replies

endlesstidying · 30/01/2014 21:49

Been thinking about this and its still annoying me a week later so thought I'd ask the MN jury.

We had to call an ambulance for dd last week. She was admitted overnight onto the observation ward in the childrens hospital and they finally found her a bed just after midnight. When we got there the bed had a bottom sheet and that was it. She was exhausted by that time so I tucked her up under my coat and went to ask for a blanket and pillow. The nurse said she'd look but wasn't sure if she'd be able to find any and she didn't.

When I went to the toilet I noticed that other children were sleeping under parents coats and no one had pillows. Most of the adults were walking about cubicles as they were cold and the windows were open. The staff said they couldn't close them as they were too high up and it was freezing

Eventually I went back to A&E and asked for loudly demanded blankets and finally got half a dozen and after tucking dd in went along the ward and offered one to each parent who took them happily - this was at about 3 in the morning.

I then got told by a nurse to mind my own business and that I'd get the staff in trouble when tey were only trying to help. She seemed really upset and angry with me to be honest.

Was i being unreasonable? Would you have done the same?

OP posts:
scottishmummy · 31/01/2014 07:46

I suggest you officially complain.keep it factual.dates,events,location
The hospital are required to respond to you

Holidaysressential · 31/01/2014 07:50

I work in paediatrics and I suspect the issue was that it was an observation ward ie a paediatric admissions unit. So your child had not been formally admitted yet but had come up from a and e and was waiting further assessment and a period of observation.
So our admissions unit does not have bedding apart fr
Bottom sheet as the change over is every couple of hours. The problem is ( and you should still complain !) is when this happens at night and if they don't find your child a bed on the proper ward often due to lack of beds they hold you at the assessment stage hence no bedding. Although sometimes this is preferential to transferring to a different hospital which is one of the other options when ward is full and their our children in observation area requiring permanent admission. How long did your child stay on this part of the unit ?

diddl · 31/01/2014 07:56

If the windows are too high to close- are they always open then?

And how where they opened in the first place?

So the problem is perhaps more lack of beds & wards not being used for intended purposes?

Still, you'd think some blankets would be handy for an area where closing windows is difficult!

2rebecca · 31/01/2014 08:01

I'm not a big fan of complaining officially as often it's just personality clashes or differing expectations but in this case I would as it is an easily sortable problem that is affecting alot of children. If having children stay on observation wards overnight is something that sometimes happens (and it sounds as though there were other kids there as well) then they should have facilities for them.
I would praise the staff who were helpful but say that if the hospital keeps children overnight in any type of ward then their should be bedding for them.

Purplehonesty · 31/01/2014 08:03

Ah that makes sense holidays. We were in a ward like that for a few hours before being admitted overnight and yes the beds just had bottom sheets. Dd fell asleep on one but it was so hot she didn't need a cover.

OHforDUCKScake · 31/01/2014 08:06

Yet another reason Im absolutely busting to become a nurse.

Crowler · 31/01/2014 08:08

YANBU. Can't believe that.

ProfPlumSpeaking · 31/01/2014 08:14

Complain to PALS, complain to the Governors of the Trust, complain to the CEO and Chair of the NHS Trust responsible and inform the Care Quality Commission whose role now includes "making sure hospitals in England provide people with safe, effective, compassionate and high-quality care"

Galaxymum · 31/01/2014 08:22

I would complain - although I doubt it will get you anywhere. I think quite honestly it's just something that i an issue as the NHS is falling apart.

My local hospital couldn't cope with dealing with my allergies and my mum used to bring my meals in. They just shrugged it off and said tough.

We used to have paper sheets on dermatology - that was appalling.

WitchWay · 31/01/2014 08:28

Your DD isn't being treated for tuberculosis in the 19th century by any chance?

gimcrack · 31/01/2014 08:29

When ds2 had an op, the nurses put up a camp bed for me and we both had bedding. Trying to get regular pain relief for DS, though, was another matter...

BigWellyLittleWelly · 31/01/2014 08:33

Sadly it doesn't surprise me. And it certainly is a postcode lottery.

Dd1 is more medically stable now but when younger was a regular on the paediatric ward and paediatric HDU. Getting her drugs at the right time used to be almost impossible, although it has to be said the auxiliaries were amazing.

MiaowTheCat · 31/01/2014 09:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lilsupersparks · 31/01/2014 21:24

It doesn't surprise me. I was in hospital with a massive abscess on my neck and a skin infection down my chest that meant I couldn't rest on my face or lie flat on my back. They were unable to find me a pillow in a and e or my first ward.

When I was sent home before I got better and I returned the next day I took a pillow with me. Sadly I was only seen by a nurse in a and e, despite asking to see my specialist as advised and sent home again. The next day I returned to hospital (with pillows again!) to be told it was life threatening and I needed an operation that day (a Sunday so a surgeon had to be rushed in from miles away)

I am so thankful for the nhs but surely pillows should be a given really? I was also moved wards 6 times in 5 nights.
I know they were stretched, but god it was horrible. And no one to hold my hand as I was desperately sad, scared and missing my babies :-(

ElizaCBennett · 01/02/2014 19:48

We had exactly the same issue when my elderly mother broke her hip. The hospital was newly built costing millions. They could not supply a blanket to cover an old lady in a wheelchair wearing a nightdress in January. She was taken in by ambulance. They said she would have a blanket when she got a bed, but 'her' bed still had someone in it!

Mamagoose01 · 01/02/2014 20:13

Id defiantly contact PALS, not right that there was not bedding for children! I've been in the Birmingham children's hospital with my son an they had plenty bedding (had to get an sort it myself but was just content to be with my son)

FuzzyWuzzywasaWoman · 01/02/2014 20:26

I work for a busy large NHS hospital and this is appalling. I have to say pillows are a constant battle, but blankets and sheets should have been prioity. The nurse should have either phoned the night porters to obtain extra linen from somewhere or contacted the duty manager to sort out the problem. If you managed to get them from another ward then so should she and a damn sight sooner. Contact PALS and put it in writing. Hope you're little one is better soon.

FutTheShuckUp · 01/02/2014 20:53

I worked for a childrens hospital which was a national centre for excellence. We frequently ran out of pillows, bed sheets and other things. It was very embarrasing. We used to have to go to other wards who would also report they had none.

FutTheShuckUp · 01/02/2014 20:54

Mamagoose- was that hospital

Misspixietrix · 01/02/2014 21:18

YNBU

Topaz25 · 01/02/2014 21:45

YANBU! The nurse told you to mind your own business?! Your child's welfare is your business and should be hers too! Sounds like she cares more about covering her own ass than covering a cold child with a blanket! Otherwise she would have asked another ward for blankets herself. I don't understand why people who don't care get into a caring profession. Please complain.

This reminds me of when my dad was in hospital before he died. We had to remind them of the basics like making sure he got his meds, bedding and commode and there was an evil nurse who violated his confidentiality by loudly complaining about caring for him in front of the whole ward. It was horrible. If there is any justice in the world she will end up in an NHS hospital one day. I always wondered what happened to the patients who didn't have people to stand up for them, they must just have suffered in silence Sad

Topaz25 · 01/02/2014 21:50

*as a patient in an NHS hospital

breatheslowly · 01/02/2014 21:50

Do people just steal hospital pillows?

FanFuckingTastic · 01/02/2014 21:57

Never understood how pillows were always in short supply, do they get stolen?

I needed about four pillows when I was hospitalized as I find sleeping painful without the propping pillows and between the knees pillow.

Chippednailvarnish · 01/02/2014 22:05

People rob hospitals blind.

When I worked in the NHS everything that could be stolen would be stolen, to the point we were targeted by gangs looking for portable defibulators to sell abroad. We had cases of people hanging around outside private rooms "casing" them to rob later.

Ironically though shortages of bed linen were normally because of timing issues with laundry distribution and patients being sent home / transfered in ambulances with the hospital's blankets and pillows.