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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to know why I'm being kept in hospital?

23 replies

HonestLie · 06/12/2014 01:48

Came in for a treatment called cold coagulation for abnormal cells. Hospital decided to keep me in to "keep an eye" on me and even though I've asked several times I'm yet to get an answer. Well one other than motoring...

OP posts:

elephantspoo · 06/12/2014 02:57

Does your room have soft walls?

Only kidding. :) Ask the nurse to get a doctor/consultant to explain to you what you have and what the risks are of what you have. If they can't explain to you in plain English, then say, "Look, why do I need to stay here to be watched? You've not told me yet why I have to stay in, and what might happen if I go home."

They can't keep you in, btw. You can discharge yourself at any time you want. They can only keep you in if they believe you are a danger to others, and if that were the case, you'd already be in isolation and talking to doctors in space suits.

Keep us posted. :)

Vole3 · 06/12/2014 06:35

this information may help.

Likely reasons to keep you in:-
Nobody at home to keep an eye on you after a general anaesthetic
more bleeding than anticipated during the procedure
Procedure performed late in the day under sedation and nobody at home to keep an eye on you

LineRunner · 06/12/2014 06:39

Extra blood tests?

Rosa · 06/12/2014 06:41

Of course you need to know but in this day and age if they could free the bed and send you home I guess they would have done.

manchestermummy · 06/12/2014 07:26

YANBU, especially if staying in was not anticipated.

When I was pg with dd2 I had a minor complicated that resulted in being admitted overnight. I was 'not allowed' to leave until the Dr had looked at my scan. This seemed entirely reasonable. However, the nurses decided I wad not actually going to have a scan but maintained the party line that the Dr needed to see my scan. Their exact words to me were "You are not having a scan - sick of these women who demand one - but you are not leaving until the Dr has looked at the scan so go please"

I discharged myself. After they told me I "wasn't allowed to go because we can't find the form".

I complained to PALS who investigated. Turned out that the assertion that ultrasound was shut when they tried to arrange a scan was an out and out li among other things that should not have happened. I complained not for myself, but for others and to make sure other women had a better experience than me.

Definitely demand - in a polite way - to know why you are being kept in, and if you are not satisfied with the explanation, discharge yourself.

Original poster

HonestLie · 06/12/2014 11:10

My phone ran out of battery. I discharged myself this morning. I still don't know why they kept me in. I kept getting told a Dr would come round to answer my questions but the only Dr I saw said they would pop back soon to not be seen again.

The only thing I can think of was that I was going to call a taxi, go pick up DD and head home. I vaguely remember mentioning it to a nurse.

OP posts:

MammaTJ · 06/12/2014 11:20

Yes, that will be it.

We have cancelled procedures if we have found out that there is no-one to look after a patient in the 24 hours after a GA. It is in one of our admission tick boxes.

We have also had people lie to us about having someone to look after them and there is nothing we can do about groan adults making an unwise decision.

Original poster

HonestLie · 06/12/2014 12:31

Wish they had just said that. The literature I had said I would be fine to go home so I didn't think it would be an issue. It's quite worrying being told you have to stay in without being given a reason

OP posts:

pebblepots · 06/12/2014 13:55

How bonkers, why didn't they just tell you ffs

offtoseethewizard64 · 06/12/2014 14:01

Probably because it is the weekend and there are no doctors around to do the discharge paperwork . Drs are a very rare breed at the weekends. We waited 8 hrs for a Dr to come and see DD in hospital after she had an allergic reaction to a new drug and urgently needed something else prescribing. When the Dr finally arrived he said he was covering the whole ward block - 700 beds!

GraysAnalogy · 06/12/2014 14:08

Its always like this at the weekend it's a disgrace. In fact it's like this a lot of the time. You see the doctor in the morning when rounds are on if you're lucky then spend the rest of the day in a state of ignorance.

Original poster

HonestLie · 06/12/2014 19:51

Yes I spoke to a friend who is a nurse today and she has said much the same. Thanks for the responses.

OP posts:

nocheeseinhouse · 06/12/2014 23:00

OP, YANBU.

elephantspoo really? Do you want to revise your stereotypes? Isolation? Space suits? Really? You can be put on a section of the mental health act, and kept in hospital against your will, but you would be told about it, and there would be no isolation, or space suits.

Mandatorymongoose · 07/12/2014 00:02

I don't think elephants was talking about anything to do with the MHA or mental health at all. It was surely about people with highly infectious diseases who need to be kept in isolation hence the space (haz mat) suits being kept in to prevent the risk of infecting people.

Lucyandpoppy · 07/12/2014 02:30

Hospitals basically operate a skeleton service at weekends its horrible and surely they should be providing the same levels of care all week round.

MammaTJ · 07/12/2014 11:18

Hospitals basically operate a skeleton service at weekends its horrible and surely they should be providing the same levels of care all week round.

They are also usually on real pressure for beds, so really would discharge if it is seen as clinically safe to do so.

Original poster

HonestLie · 07/12/2014 13:19

So why keep someone in for observation who hasn't had any reaction to the treatment given I'm slightly confused. Im considering writing to the hospital.

OP posts:

MammaTJ · 07/12/2014 15:14

You did have a general anaesthetic, didn't you?

Original poster

HonestLie · 07/12/2014 15:34

No, procedure was done with a local sorry thought I had mentioned that.

OP posts:

MammaTJ · 07/12/2014 16:07

Ah, that explains your bewilderment a bit more. It can be done under GA or LA.

Now, I don't understand it either then!

Original poster

HonestLie · 07/12/2014 16:13

Maybe to do with the fact I was coming home alone to look after a child? And there would be no other adults around I just don't get it, or at the very least don't get why nobody said we think it's best you stay in for x y z reasons

OP posts:

MammaTJ · 07/12/2014 16:36

That would have been the case if you had a general anaesthetic, not so much for local.

24 hours of another adult with you and no driving after a GA.

BatteryPoweredHen · 07/12/2014 16:46

Unless you are detained under the Mental Health Act, hospitals are not allowed to hold you against your will - to do so constitutes false imprisonment.

To detain you under the Mental Health Act, 3 separate people need to agree to the section, two of whom need to be doctors (one specially trained)

It winds me up so much when I hear of people not being 'allowed' to leave unless x,y or z condition has been met.

They might well prefer you to stay, but you are free to walk out at any time of your choosing.

As a society, we need to better inform ourselves and stop being quite so deferential to health care professionals. They did a number on you OP, you should def complain.

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