To thing my need for rest in hospital should trump another patients need to have 10 visitors

[Wigwambam10]

Basicly in hospital with kidney infection which is slowly getting better. I have had almost no sleep last night as the women in the next bed had 9 visitors till 11 last night and then had her telly on really loud till 2. She then called someone and was on the phone for a hour.

I asked a nurse last night to talk to her and ask her to be quiet only to be told she can’t do anything as it’s the ladies right.

This morning at 10 all the visitors turned up again and different people have come and gone all day. There have been people practically sat in my cubical and one even tried to sit on the end of my bed.
When DH came to visit me I was in tears as I am so tired and obviously feel ill so he and a word with the ward sister and most of the visitors were told they had to leave. The sister also said that the women will be told to keep the noise down tonight
Well the night staff are on and all the visitors are back. One has almost fallen through my curtain. I have talked one of the nurses who said “the visitors are not doing any harm”. I can tell it’s going to be as bad as last night.
I lost my rag about five minutes ago and shouted to the visitors to shut up and go home and give me some peace. They laughed at me.
I am on the verge of demanding they take out my drip then getting dressed and walking out. I need to sleep so badly. I am sat here with tears streaming down my face. Nurses have seen me but no one cares.

Please write down everything what has happened. As PPs said you need to contact PALs, you need to put in a complaint.

That amount of visitors is unsafe! What if an emergency arises,
We never allow more than 2 visitors per patient on ICU and other wards I have bank on we are strict regarding visitors. Patients need rest when unwell!
Our trust has recently introduced open visiting 8-8 but we ensure all visitors have left by half past 8.

Only in special circumstances would we allow more than a couple of visitors.

My DD is on a maternity ward at the moment. The hospital have just allowed partners to stay 24 hours, and she was in a bay with a couple who spent the entire day updating relatives loudly on their phones and laptop playing Netflix even louder. She said he snored like a warthog all night and made a foul mess of the patient only toilet. His partner is in for monitoring so why the f*ck he needs to be admitted as well is beyond me. DD was so wound up that she tried to discharge herself but they think she's got liver function issues and they wouldn't allow her to. She's been admitted for rest for christs sake, and it's the one thing she's not getting.

People are pigs OP. There is no excuse for them. Hope you feel better soon

seniorcitizen the maternity and childrens wards have some beds that arent single rooms. My niece wasnt in her own room last year she was in a wee bit with 2 other children

Sympathies OP. I remember post c section being on a six bed ward. Visitors were meant to leave by 8pm but no one seemed to enforce it. The lady opposite had her partner plus various aunties etc coming and still hanging out at nearly 10pm! When I had my last checks done before ‘lights out’ I asked the nurse why there were still visitors on the ward, only then did she do something about it. Hellish. Was desp to sleep. The partner of the woman opp also took calls on his mobile in the middle of the night and didn’t even leave the room. I could have killed him.

I have moved and I am in my own room. As I was moving the women shouted out “where was I going”. The nurse said to a private room so this lady can get some rest.
The women then actually said “how come she gets a room and I don’t, I need quiet and rest too”
I couldn’t help myself I said “well you didn’t last night and for all day today so I am sure you will manage tonight”
She looked gobsmacked.

Glad they've finally moved you OP - I was just about to suggest that you make use of your red button, repeatedly, every 5 minutes or so, until you get the nurses to take your frustration seriously and arrange to kick the annoying visitors out some peace and quiet.

" “the visitors are not doing any harm”. "

Of course they are if a patient can't bloody well sleep/rest.

You wouldn't think that the night staff would want the noise, would you.

Sleep well, Op!

Am I a bit cruel to kind of hope she actually wants some sleep tonight and they bring in another patient who is the the loudest snorer ever.
Anyway I am going to get some sleep for a bit then be woken up at midnight when they get round to doing the drug trolley

Hah! Well done, I hope you get a good nights rest

So glad they have moved you and well done for replying to her.
Sometimes there is no explanation for these rude rude people...

Night all and thanks again 😴

Result.

Glad you've been moved OP. I've been in a similar situation and it was awful. In my case, they bought an imminently terminal patient in as there were no side rooms. Family arrived throughout the night, saying their goodbyes, sobbing, calling family on the phone, until the poor lady died in the very early morning. All taking place on the other side of a curtain. Awful, for everyone involved.

Bless you x Sleep well xxx

How many visitors ?
Infection control...

Sounds like a bunch of either under-supervised or inexperienced staff who cannot shoo excessive visitors out.

Tsk tsk tsk..

Matron would not stand for this & nor would Auntie.
The mention of ‘PALS’ should get some action as unresolved cases reported to PALS go across the Chief Executives desk. Note the key word is unresolved cases. PALS will go out of their way to resolve matters raised so that a formal case is not logged.

It is not unreasonable to place a patient in a quieter room if everyday ward noise prohibits them from rest & recovery .

Also don’t forget that cheery street cry of yore: “Oi! haven’t you got a home to go to?”

Don’t think glasgow maternity wards are part of new super hospital - in same block where my son born in 1990. Children’s hospital is different

OP, so glad you have a good outcome, but definitely still complain.

dayman it was so frustrating. Every bed has a pay tv console and you can buy headphones or bring your own in. Apparently the ward didn't have any to purchase, so they said their hands were tied. They said as he had paid for the tv card they couldn't stop him using it. I imagine it would be awkward to have the conversation after he had paid £12 for 24 hours, but even if he had turned it down a bit that would have helped. I think some people are just selfish.

Glad you hear you had the last word.
Sleep well.
Wish you speedy recovery.

After 10pm lights out - headphones on and no calls? And defo no visitors after 9pm? Speak to ward matron

Wtf is wrong with some people. Finding this more and more in life, people have no idea of manners, how to conduct themselves and show no regard for others. Absolutely can’t bear it.

My sons 20 now, but I recall being on a six bed ward post birth and one patient having a number of male visitors , they were in and out banging doors, talking loudly and having some sort of very pungent food. Not feeling my best for obvious reasons, I was literally heaving.

I’d have gone postal long before you did OP, hope you get some rest.

Good for you OP.

I am shocked she was allowed more than 2/3 visitors at a time.

We would never allow that and visitors are always happy to comply as to them that's the rule, its a very easy rule to enforce.
We allow more visitors if a patient has just received dreadful news in which case the visitors would tend to be respectful and quiet anyway to the patient let alone in front of other patients.

Glad you have moved. Can’t believe they don’t limit the number of visitors.

This thread illustrates why visiting hours are important and why staff should be empowered to enforce them. I’m surprised by the almost unanimous support for restricted visiting on this thread as that is certainly not my experience of working on many different hospital wards. Also other threads here, e.g. on maternity where women have wanted 24hour visiting allowed.

My local hospital used to have strict visiting. They are now trialing extended hours with a view to moving almost entirely to open visiting. The staff hate it. Feedback from patients and relatives (based on talking face to face, and written and computerised surveys plus PALS complaints) is overwhelmingly in favour of visitors being allowed to come whenever they like. We get far, far more comments and complaints from people who want more visitors and more time to visit than less.

I have asked visitors to leave many a time. Usually I am told that they know their rights and I have no right to ask them to leave and don’t I know how ill their relative is.

Unfortunately this leads to patients like the OP getting no rest.