AIBU to question my husband's treatment in a hospital waiting room?

[SadlyNotATroll]

Posting here for traffic sorry. DH had a routine blood test on Thursday and was sent straight to hospital after some concerning numbers relating to his kidneys I think. He was there all day Thursday having tests and sent home. Was called at 10:30 on Thursday evening saying he had to go back in the next morning. I don’t want to over share his personal details on the internet but he is being treated with IV antibiotics but isn’t actually being told what for. Last night they had no beds and he slept in a chair in the clinic waiting room. I say slept but he didn’t sleep at all. Today he’s still there and being told he will be needing to stay in over the weekend but they have no beds. He has no privacy and is sat upright in a chair.

I get that the NHS is in dire straits, I really do. But how can he be treated in a waiting room chair and be expected to sleep and recover there? Do we have any recourse at all? Please don’t think this is a nurse/NHS bashing thread. The staff have been wonderful and it’s not their fault at all.

I mean, the answer could be "we aren't exactly sure what's going on so we are giving antibiotics as a precaution" or something like that. But when you have asked why he is being given antibiotics, what has their answer been?

What, exactly, do you think a 'bedblocker' is?

There answers have been “the doctor needs to discuss it with you”. And then a doctor never appears. I’m not sure why I’d make it up?

None of this bollocks thanks

Why do they do that? Call people in when theyre not ready for them? My mum was asked to go into A&E urgently because of scan results, but it was 3 days before anyone did anything relating to the scan results, so that was a bed/trolley filled for 3 days for no reason.

The way they spoke to her on the phone it was essential she was seen within the hour. She was actually cooking dinner at the time and they told her it couldn't wait until afterwards. Then left her sitting there for 3 days.

That's horrendous, I'm sorry. I have never experienced or heard about medical personnel not being willing to give you all the information you ask for.

What do they say when you ask when the doctor will be there?

Curious to know who you think are the bedblockers ?

When my coeliac mother was in hospital several years ago, we had to take in food as it took the kitchen ages to deal with her strict GF diet.

This is why the NHS needs to be privatised. It’s had its day, it's not fit for purpose now.

I would be goung out of my mind stuck in a chair all weekend. I feel your DH op. Hope he’s ok.

If they have put him on an antibiotic drip some doctor has prescribed it, then he/ she must have a treatment plan even if it is precautionary. You are entitled to have a clear explanation of what this is and I would push to have this clarified and record it with the doctor's name on your phone.
Recording names is very important. If the doctor asks why, say it's so any subsequent complaint to the CQC is nice and clear. Don't bother with PALS, they carry very little clout with the doctors and administrators.
I suspect they are giving precautionary antibiotics until Monday to avoid a worse kidney infection or to clear what is already there until such time that either a kidney consultant or specialist scanner is available to your husband on Monday. Unfortunately they might have him. on the non comfy seats in case he deteriorates and they want medical staff around.
That said, I would be asking where the nearest available bed in another hospital was and whether he could be transferred.

No that wasn’t a bat signal to racism …NHS and Care services would collapse without immigration …it’s about priorities.

Support foreign wars - yes. Royal Family - yes Vanity Projects - yes

The health of our nation …NO real spending increases and crisis ignored for decades = countless unnecessary deaths

I would ask if he can be treated in a day clinic. They usually have comfy reclinable seats while giving chemo or immunotherapy etc with each individual being treated with something different. It would seem sensible for him to be there. . They also have staff around all the time.

You think that doesn’t happen in private care? Have you watched US medical dramas??!

Insulin is a luxury, a wheelchair a denied expense, chemotherapy denied …with insurance there are massive Co Pays ..really educate your understanding

What is it you are questioning though?

Do you think they are hiding out back in a big hall full of empty beds, with bed shrines, worshipping the empty bed gods, giggling to themselves?

The problem is accessing the medical personnel! Nurses don't always know the full picture and trying to find a doctor is a nightmare. This is the reality many people have had in the nhs.

Have you seen the working young people with health conditions admitted to hospital for say chest infection treatment…denied a return to their adapted homes because whilst an inpatient the local authority have withdrawn their support packages and told then they will be discharged to an old folks home. They have stayed in hospital for a year, lost their work and suffered enormously

Sorry to hear this @SadlyNotATroll

Its a frustrating one because on one hand the staff are doing all they can but on the other hand it doesn’t make it any easier for your DH.

I would get him a sleep mat/bag and a pillow and stick him up with foods he’s able to eat and hope a bed becomes available soon.

Surely the reason for the medication is included on the patient's chart, which the nurse would have access to? (Even if that reason is we're not sure yet what's going on so this is precautionary.)

Because it’s not their fault and they shouldn’t be made to suffer for it any more than someone in a chair in the waiting room ?

Can he be treated at home by the virtual ward or hospital at home team?

OP have you asked about the Hospital At Home service ? If it’s IV antibiotics and observations the service could provide this at home.

I'm not sure our NHS is salvageable. I would start making a fuss, find out exactly what they think is wrong with him and what the treatment plan is. Also ask for the email address of their patient complaint dept and let them know you will also be contacting your MP and the Parliamentary Ombudsman if they don't find a bed for your husband, even if its in a corridor.

That's awful, your poor DH! You may be able to get them to bring him a reclining chair - ime they have them for when parents need to stay with a child etc.

Unfortunately A&E isn't set up to be "ready for" these sorts of patients - they are very busy departments (apologies for stating the obvious!) and by their nature constantly have emergency patients coming in needing urgent treatment. The reason patients like your mum and the OP's DH are called in is usually that their blood tests are so abnormal that it's considered too risky for them to stay at home and so being in A&E (even on a chair rather than a bed) is a place of safety where if they were to become very unwell suddenly this would be recognised and they would be able to have emergency treatment rapidly. It is understandably incredibly frustrating but it is also within the patient's rights to make the choice to leave against medical advice if they would rather accept the risk of going home and coming back if they deteriorate.

Similar thing happens with DLA/PIP and Carers Allowance It stops if the person is in hospital for 28 days as lol get this the NHS is deemed to be caring for them.