To want to know why I spent the night in hospital.

[FlemCandango]

I have a chronic condition Bronchiectasis - this basically means my lungs are a bit damaged and I am prone to chest infections. I have been taking antibiotics for a few days to clear a suspected infection. But I was feeling pretty rough yesterday and called GP for some advice. I was called in for an in person appointment, first in over a year. I had bp taken etc. GP listened to lungs they seemed clear, so I was told to go to A&E for blood tests and chest x-ray to rule out other causes. I have been feeling exhausted and have some pains in ribs/ chest.

So spend 5 hours in A&E having tests etc. Told my a clichéd dismissive consultant that I could go home but an hour and a half later still in waiting room and then admitted but non of the night shift nurses could tell me what had changed. DH fuming, on phone, me tired and just wanted somewhere to lie down by then.

Have had a crappy night's sleep but my BP etc. is good now so that is something. Now I just really want to go home. But also really want to know where all the miscommunication happened!?!

I got stuck in with false labour (VBAC). It tailed off after a few hours. I wasn't allowed lunch when things were tailing off, then it didn't really occur to them by teatime that I needed feeding for the first time since breakfast. It was a bloody awful night, ravenous having eaten a handful of cheese since breakfast, no pillows and impossible to lie with a 39wk pg SPD body, so I ended up trudging up and down the coridor on my crutches because it was marginally less painful than the bed.

Sometimes once you're in, it's bloody difficult to get answers and to get out again, especially if it's busy enough to be hard to pin people down but not quite critical enougn to shift the beds.

My discharge with DS1 dragged on. BP still high, but one MW managed to advocate that 4 sleepless nights in hospital was not going to bring it down. She was aghast that I was still in and made it a mission to get me out in a few hours.

Oh dear, but good news as well

I will put it down to experience. No long term harm unless I pick up an infection here! But I certainly don't come to hospital for r&r bubble bath at home will be what I need!

I also have bronchiectasis.

I got diagnosed after I went to hospital to get chest pain checked out.

Even though my ECG was ok they absolutely insisted I stayed in overnight. Then an ECG was done the next morning and chest infection was found.

So it may well be part of the protocol around the chest pain, as someone said.

I do have an infection as white cell count v slightly elevated. But I already knew that and it was why I called GP and got antibiotics. Hey ho.

Better safe than sorry, eh? But sorry you got caught in the cogs and crunched! 😖

[quote Desmorelda]@RosAndHellebores "happens too often and need to be channelled" they do have probably a 100 other patients to care for. They've kept her in for good reason [/quote]
Is she not allowed to know the reason? Reading the OP and the updates since, clarification is in order and was not given. I don't believe in never challenging the NHS, just becausde they;'re the NHS, sometimes, they f*ck up and need calling out. doesn't stop me loving them.

@Mindymomo

In my experience with hospitals, communication leaves a lot to be desired.

Definitely. And then you are labelled "awkward" for asking perfectly reasonable questions!!

Thanks to a very switched on staffer from pharmacy I was let out early. No further meds required and no need to lounge in the patient lounge of doom while further paperwork was ground out! So I am home and washed the hospital out of me and am going to crash out. After I eat some food though not much of an appetite at the moment. Thank you for letting me vent.

I am a big fan of the NHS and fully supportive - that doesn't mean that I am accepting of everything that happens or agree with every decision made when I am a patient. That sort of blind loyalty helps no one. I was a school governor once apon a time and learned the value of a "critical friend" and constructive criticism. Any professional / body needs feedback and I may give some feedback on my experience. I have no plans to complain or make a fuss.

I didn't mean that to sound as pompous as it probably does 🙁

Unless there is a section in place or a deprivation of liberty assessment has taken place no Drnor nurse in the UK can insist a patient to stays in hospital. You do not have to wait to be discharged. I'd have politely told them I was leaving and if the discharge paperwork was still pending that was their issue notice as I had been kept in in error in the first place.