NOT to make a formal complaint to the hospital

[anothercoldcupoftea]

A bit long, sorry.....

Last weekend our 2 year old DD1 had breathing problems (asthma/viral wheeze), my DH took her into A&E and got sent straight home again with advice to come back in 48 hours if still a problem.

Now, we'd had the same problem/symptoms 2 months ago and she had been given treatment (nebuliser/steroids etc). This time round we had also been using a reliever inhaler at home and it had stopped helping, so I knew she needed some extra help and was absoluitely astonished when they came back home again so quickly. She was clearly wheezy and struggling. However, A&E had said she was fine and of course you believe what the docs tell you (won't be doing that again), so we dillied around for a few hours, calling the GP (it was a saturday), and finally a nurse from the surgery rang to check on us (thank goodness) and could hear how bad DD1 was over the phone, so told us to go back to A&E.

This time round, much panic, and took 3 hours to stabilise her, basically only responded to the level of drugs pre the ventilator stage, then in the high dependency unit for 2 nights (great fun when also trying to BF and keep happy a 5 month old baby). DD1 is home now and doing well and getting far too much attention .

After a few discussions after the event, the doctors have clearly admitted to us that the initial response was incorrect and she should have been at least kept in for observation, and they have spoken to the doctor concerned, and will look at tightening up procedures to make sure a similar situation doesn't happen again. I'm happy with this (well, as happy as you can be when incompetence could have killed our daughter, and heaven help me if I ever see that particular doctor again, but I'm trying not to dwell on that).

But my DH wants to make formal complaint as well. I can't see what could be gained from this really. Maybe this is more of a what would you do, but am I BU to leave it as it stands and not make a complaint?

Sorry to hear about poor dd. I'm very surprised your dd was discharged with no information about what you should do if she got worse and what signs you should be looking out for. Very poor practice IMO.

Personally I would ask the consultant whether your dd's case has been referred to the National Patient Safety Agency's National Reporting and Learning Service as a patient safety incidence. If not, why not? (Would ask that in a polite but firm manner, IYKWIM.)

incident, even!

Really sorry tohear about your DDs illness and your awful experience.
A formal complaint will probably not achieve any more than your informal discussion with the consultant did but you could try and move things along by writing to that consultant and sending a copy to the hospital chief exec, reiiterating your discussion and asking what progress has been made with the issues raised and the assurances given to you that this would be learnt from. If you don't recieve a satisfactory answer write again.

Another option is to contact your local PALS {patient advice and liason service0. If you log the issue with them it will be recorded and they can ask for any system changes to be made to stop it happening again. It's not an official complaint but you can get feedbackwww.pals.nhs,uk.
FWIW i think you seem very clear about what you want and this in itself is often helpful in putting an awful experience behind you. Good luck!