Complaint against a Nurse

[Chokka]

I've been accused of making a complaint against an a and e nurse in NHS trust A. I was told by health care worker in NHS trust B. And also made to feel incredibly guilty for "making this person's" life hell.

Here's the thing - I never made a complaint against the nurse. I did consider it but I didn't because I was scared it may impact my treatment in the future and also, I have complex trauma so nobody listens to what I say anyway. It would have been a fruitless exercise.

However, NHS Trust B are now providing me pretty awful care (accused of being a liar etc) because of this complaint - I am unsure what to do but am thinking of e-mailing both trusts and asking for an explanation?

I think you perhaps might think about having someone as an advocate to represent you in this instance, as it sounds stressful and you don't need extra anxiety. Would you perhaps want to email PALs and ask them to look into it for you, and then someone could talk you through it?

But if you are fine with emails, then I would indeed ask the Trusts what's going on. Nothing you have or haven't done should impact your care.

Under Freedom of Information, you should ask to see all records they hold about you (they may charge you for photocopying). Make it clear you are doing this because you have reasons to suspect they have you mixed up with someone else and that person has made a complaint against a nurse and you want to make sure you are not somehow taking the blame for that.

Save the stuff about the awful care you are receiving at the moment for another time, you don't want to cloud the issue - at the moment you want to see what info they have about you so that you can clear up any misunderstanding and also ask for a note to be put on your notes on the computer that you have not made a complaint against a member of staff and that there potentially has been a case of mistaken identity (unless of course they can produce a letter, email or notes from a telephone call from yourself in regards to this nurse).

Sounds dreadful - even if you had made a complaint it should have been confidential and should not affect your future treatment in any way. It might be a better idea to enquire via PALS - less chance of anything being ignored or brushed aside then, and they should be able to advocate for you with your current healthcare provider.

Thanks, I didn't think of PALS.

I am unsure about medical records as it may break me at the moment (I am not in a great place), and I have already been sent a pretty horrific doctor to doctor letter regarding my illness (basically, I am being accused of faking an illness by some medical professional; others are going nuts at them because it's putting my life at risk). I just don't want to see what the minority have put on my records, even Team Believe have written some stuff that's fairly difficult for me to read.

chokka, I get you, I really do. I once ordered a file under DPA and honestly couldn't face reading it.

However, PALs were very helpful and sorted things out.

@Chokka Do you have someone you trust (a friend or family member maybe) who could look through the files for you and filter them - i.e., only tell you about if there is anything on your file about a complaint about a nurse? I know that is a lot of sensitive information to potentially divulge to someone else but if it were me I might ask my husband, a sibling or best friend to read them through for me and just pick out any bits about complaints I had made and not tell me the rest, if I felt that reading the notes in their entirety would be too upsetting for me.

As people have already said, PALS may be able to do that for you if you are not comfortable asking someone you know.

Thing is, I haven't actually made a complaint - I know I haven't. I would have had to go through PALS, and then make an official complaint.

I have a therapist who can read through it; I don't really speak to anyone else (aside from work colleagues at work but that's just work things).

You can ask to access your notes via the DATa protection act not the freedom of information act.
My only question is to why a health care support worker would advise you this? How would she know if it happened at another trust?
It sounds very much like a Chinese whisper and even if you had made a complaint against another member of staff at another trust,how would the health support worker know the outcome?
The health support worker would also be in breech of her position to speak to you about it.
I would take up a complaint with the health support worker who has discussed this with you as she had no right to do so.

If you haven't made a complaint then this is all just nasty gossip and the carer who told you needs to be called to account. What was she told, who told her. Thatsmwhat should be investigated. Like others said you don't go through freedom of information to access your notes, speak to the nurse in charge or doctor about this and also pals.

Could a family member have lodged a complaint on your behalf or with enough knowledge to pretend to be you?

I actually think you need to make a complaint about how you are being treated now.
Your current care is being impacted by what someone "thinks" you said and it should ot be. This is disgusting. Oh, and yes, FOI request on email records, too.
ATB

How does staff member from trust b ‘know’?

Also, even if you had made a complaint it really shouldn’t affect the care you are receiving.

Like some of us have said medical records are not dealt with by the freedom of information act. You simply speak to the ward manager, consultant or pals and ask them to sit down with you and go through any questions you have.

Medical records is standard request but emails about you are FOI.

The health care worker at Trust B said he was managing my case because I am complex (I think he was referring to mental health, although I am being treated for a physical health thing, not mental health).

He did know some things about me, but also got a lot wrong, I've never seen him before and I don't think he's been involved in my care before. He just kept going on and on about the complaint and really sarcastically said "well if you didn't do it are you saying the doctors did". I didn't know anything about the complaint at all until ten minutes beforehand. I was wondering if it was a partner or something?

I will speak to PALS I think and ask for an explanation - I just want to know why I am being accused of something I haven't done, and also, yes, the gossip perspective - why are they talking about me?

That sounds really weird and definitely is worth pursuing because it is wrongly putting your treatment at risk. I would recommend that you start a journal, write down all of your interactions with medical people that you can remember - dates, who you saw, a summary of what was said and agreed upon. In future take this journal with you to appointments and write stuff down in it as you go. Take someone in with you too.

You should definitely ask PALS to investigate because 1. people are acting unprofessionally by treating you differently because of what you are supposed to have done which is unethical, and 2. it's completely false! If it is happening as you say it is then it's outrageous.

Its none of his business what or wasnt said. How does he know a nurse at another trust is upset, nothing to do with him, maybe shes a friend of his. I assume he is not a registered nurse or social worker, try and speak to the manager and pals and ask that he doesn't look after you anymore. Don't feel singled out, some people are just spiteful, inappropriate and unprofessional.

That's is terrible that they are actually bringing the complaint up with you. Even if you had made a complaint it should be dealt with accordingly and shouldn't be being discussed at your appointments with other members of staff. I'd definitely contact PALS. Whether you complained or not shouldn't affect your future care.

This is exactly what PALS should be able to help you with. Speak to them.

Chokka if you haven't already please raise this with PALS, at both Hospitals if they are under different Trusts.

It is actually irrelevant whether or not you have made a complaint in that you should be treated with the same dignity and care even if you had made a complaint about one of their colleagues in their department.

They certainly should not be raising this with you