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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Hospital mistakes, but no harm done. Title edited by MNHQ at request of OP.

125 replies

ghi · 28/03/2023 17:23

It was a different dose to normal, and I did query it at the time. I was given my next appointment, which was wrong, and I said it was wrong, but I was told that it must have been changed, and I would be informed. Well, I wasn't informed so I rang the hospital, and I have been given the wrong appointments. I was given my medication to take home, but one of it I have never seen before, and that was wrong too, so now I am seriously thinking I have been muddled up with some one else, and I might have got the wrong dose of chemotherapy too.

I rang the hospital to ask if I should be taking this new medicine, and was told no, it hadn't been prescribed for me, bring it back.

What shall I do about thinking the chemotherapy dose might have been wrong too? I don't have any proof, I just know how much I was given, and it was not my normal amount.

WWYD?

OP posts:
twointhemorning · 28/03/2023 18:54

When I was given chemo, or any drugs I was always asked to confirm my name and date of birth. Did they not check who you were before hooking you up to the drip?

Mummapenguin20 · 28/03/2023 19:00

Wow this is a pretty big fuck up

Fluffodils · 28/03/2023 19:01

Fucking hell I hope you're OK OP.

Fluffodils · 28/03/2023 19:03

Georgiepud · 28/03/2023 18:38

I've not had chemo, but given the circumstances would it also be sensible to take photos of everything currently in your possession?

Yes I would

delusionsofadequacy · 28/03/2023 19:05

The hospital should have a clear record of what pharmacy supplied for you and what the nurses gave. They have the batch numbers written down at all stages. I would call back tomorrow and see if you can check.
For reassurance, sometimes the pharmacy gets a stock of syringes bought in of various strengths that might need using up before they go out of date. This means there might occasionally be a different amount of syringes but the dose is the same (e.g. a dose of 1300mg might be 3 x400mg and a 100mg or 4 x 300mg and a 100mg).
There might have been other reasons for changes but I would hope they would tell if you had a big weight change etc

SecretDoor · 28/03/2023 19:05

Pleased they are seeing you tomorrow and looking into things.

Further thoughts/questions to consider:
Did they same nurse administer all the syringes?

Were they the usual size of syringes?
Has your weight changed significantly so the doses have been altered to reflect that?

piglets29 · 28/03/2023 19:05

Has your weight changed at all? Chemo dose can be prescribed based on body surface area. Some drugs are prescribed per metre square. So a dose might change with weight changes I think.

onionringcheeseypuff · 28/03/2023 19:11

You are absolutely correct to document everything that has happened as you recollect and that includes photographs of medicine and writing down events with times and people involved

My mother in law once turned up to a chemo appointment where they almost began the wrong treatment because although it was prescribed for her and saw names and dose was correct for the prescription for the nurses to check it was the wrong treatment entirely that had been agreed on and the consultant had not referred to notes from a previous appointment where they agreed to change treatment

Fortunately my DH goes to every appointment and advocated for her

I have also been waiting to be discharged personally from surgery for hours because they couldn't find my prescription and it turned up on the wrong floor in the wrong ward with no name on it but sat at a nurses station

Mistakes happen and when they happen to you your main concern is you are okay, it hasn't harmed you because as someone said human nature means people will go defensive and try to cover it up so you might not get proper answers if the error isn't recorded

FictionalCharacter · 28/03/2023 19:12

ghi · 28/03/2023 18:34

yes, I still have the wrongly prescribed heart medication, and the wrong appointments, so I will be taking these back in with me tomorrow.

Photograph everything before you return it. Not so you can blame people, but as proof, because hospitals are extremely keen to tell you you're mistaken or confused instead of admitting they were wrong.

ADHDVet · 28/03/2023 19:18

This sounds a little worrying to me. I am a vet rather than a doctor but if I was changing a patient’s medication I would always explain that. Even if it was just the syringe size e.g.

”I know you’ll be expecting fluffy to get 4 pink and 4 clear as usual. The supplier has sent us a different syringe style which means they will now be receiving 5 pink and 3 clear. This hasn’t changed the volume of drug at all and he is still getting 20ml of each” for example.

When you receive medical care you are consenting to the procedure. You should always be giving informed consent meaning everything should be explained to you in appropriate detail. I really hope they get to the bottom of it for you.

SpiceyMoth · 28/03/2023 19:29

Hiya, I don't really have anything super helpful to add here in terms of the process for getting things sorted out/corrected - but I do just want to give some info about my families experiences with this type of thing in the hopes that it might give you a tad more confidence to stand up for yourself.
Please do not let medical staff fob you off because they think they're impervious to making mistakes.

Do not let this go, and definitely do a formal complaint. I have so much respect for medical staff, but the fact that you had concerns and they ignored you and insisted they were right and you were wrong multiple times is absolutely disgusting and vile imo, especially with something so serious.

My mum in 2022 had a relatively routine knee surgery that ended up uncovering a Grade 2 Meningioma brain tumour when she had a seizure coming round from the sedation, and frankly the way she was treated was also disgusting.

She was given no "Post tumour diagnosis" info or support, was left to fend for herself basically.
She had to go on a certain type of seizure medication which increases the likelihood of kidney stones (She was not warned of this), and of course, she got kidney stones (But at the time obviously she had no clue what was causing the pain so it just got worse and worse until she couldn't take any more).
She was in so much agony she phoned for an ambulance, and despite telling them about her recent diagnosis, and how she'd waited until the pain was unbearable & that she was due for literal brain surgery soon, they told her it wasn't a life or death situation, or even an emergency of any kind.

So she ended up phoning her GP who told her to take a taxi to A&E, where it turned out, she didn't have just kidney stones, but also severe sepsis, bordering on septic shock because the kidney stones were blocking some tube and she ended up needing a stent put in.
(For some extra context, my mum had to have a C-section when I was born, and she ended up with severe gangrene and nearly died having me. The only reason she survived is because she was on the larger side, so the infection was eating away at fat more than anything else. So bottom line she's fairly susceptible to infections & sepsis so this was really scary for us, and when visiting her in hospital, I genuinely thought she might die a few times, she looked so so poorly, she was basically grey)
The people in hospital said she was insanely close to septic shock. And she ended up in the hospital for well over 3 weeks, all of which added massive delays to her being able to get the brain surgery on the Meningioma - Bearing in mind she had to go through all of this without knowing whether her tumour was cancerous or not, or if she was going to live or die.
My mum had to REPEATEDLY remind the nurses & doctors almost daily that she had a brain tumour. They literally forgot. They did it whilst I was there visiting at least three times.
She had to repeatedly remind them that she was on other medication for the tumour and seizures and that they were time sensitive, and again and again she was given medication late or not at all, and we had to follow things up for her.
She was on some kind of what I assumed was antibiotic drip for the infection which they messed up every single time it needed changing. The entirety of my mums arms were deep purple from bruising. They caused 2 or 3 veins to collapse, the list literally goes on and on, I'd be here all day if I listed everything.

Bottom line; DO NOT let this go. This is not something minor and your hospital needs to take accountability.

If my mum hadn't have phoned the GP, and then gotten herself in a taxi to A&E, she would literally be dead right now she was that close to septic shock. The staff literally said so when she finally made it to where she needed to be.

I understand that the NHS is incredibly understaffed, underpaid and they're stretched thin, but that's not a valid excuse to be dismissing patients valid concerns simply because the hospitals think they know better.
Yes they have more experience medically, they know the what, the why, and the how, they know what they're doing.
But they're also human, they also make mistakes, and you won't have the same doctor every time, it's literally impossible for them to know for certain if what's on their notes is correct unless they were there the last time and for some reason decided to remember you specifically out of the hundreds and thousands of patients they see on a daily basis.

I really really hope you get to the bottom of this mess, you're in my thoughts, I believe in you, don't let them shut down your extremely valid concerns <3

SchoolTripDrama · 28/03/2023 19:35

WOW for a HCP/Pharmacist, giving the wrong medication to a patient is a career-ending fuck up...Regardless of whether the patient was put in danger or not!

Well done for noticing OP.

MarchMadness23 · 28/03/2023 19:41

@ghi

That's worrying! & their reaction was disgraceful!

im glad the consultant has taken you seriously & is looking into it & it's reassuring he thinks the only problem, really, is wasted time.

id want what's happened confirmed, in writing.

i hope tomorrow puts your mind at rest!

CallintheClowners · 28/03/2023 19:44

This is very worrying for you OP BUT it may also be very worrying for someone else if your drugs were mixed up.

There may be a person with your drugs to take home, or who had your treatment on the day.

Is there someone with an appt card which are YOUR dates?

It is, as someone said a 'never event' and very serious indeed if this has occurred.

FabFitFifties · 28/03/2023 19:50

It is quite likely someone else has had your chemo and has your take home drugs. Don't let this be brushed under the carpet OP. I hope you are OK.

TattiePants · 28/03/2023 20:21

I’m so sorry that you have this added worry on top of chemo. I’m glad the doctor you spoke to is taking it serious and as a pp suggested, write an account of what has happened today while it is still fresh and photograph the appointment and medication before you handed it over.

You could also ask them to look at the record of the other patient whose appointment you received. If that patient’s prescription for take home meds is what you’ve received today then it sounds like they’ve mixed you up with another patient and they need to check what chemo the other patient had and if that ties in with what you’ve received today.

WilsonMilson · 28/03/2023 20:28

This is serious, it sounds like they mistook you for someone else and you were given someone else’s chemo, meds and appointments.
It may not be only the dosage that was different but the actual chemo drugs, which is pretty fucking awful. Glad you are being seen today, hope you got clarity about that is happening.

I hope you took photos of the meds you were wrongly prescribed and had a full breakdown of what happened, exactly what happened yesterday etc. Pay great attention in future to which meds you are given and triple check them with the chemo nurses. Educate yourself on the drugs you are on so you can recognise what you are being given.

Do not let the hospital minimise this, it sounds like a massive error.
You should absolutely speak to PALS about this.

BluetheBear · 28/03/2023 20:36

Glad you got some reassurance OP and hope you get this sorted

jeanne16 · 28/03/2023 20:39

When I was having chemo, I had a contact number for the team of chemo nurses. Call them and ask. I also had a 24 hour emergency number to call. Try that as well.

I would be horrified if this were true.

IVbumble · 28/03/2023 20:41

SchoolTripDrama · 28/03/2023 19:35

WOW for a HCP/Pharmacist, giving the wrong medication to a patient is a career-ending fuck up...Regardless of whether the patient was put in danger or not!

Well done for noticing OP.

Giving incorrect medication usually does not mean the end of a nursing or pharmacist career - HCP's are human after all & even with the best will in the world mistakes are made.

Usually those that have made that mistake are the ones who never do so again. Professional standards say that in such a case the HCP needs to be open & honest with the patient once it's realised an error has been made.

It would be worth asking for a copy of your notes OP as your dosage & medication will have been recorded on those. You also need to know if there was an error made what impact might this have on you & how it might be rectified.

123wentaway · 28/03/2023 20:41

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this worry on top of an illness.
Before you return the meds photograph each item showing the name label on it.

MarchMadness23 · 28/03/2023 20:42

TattiePants · 28/03/2023 20:21

I’m so sorry that you have this added worry on top of chemo. I’m glad the doctor you spoke to is taking it serious and as a pp suggested, write an account of what has happened today while it is still fresh and photograph the appointment and medication before you handed it over.

You could also ask them to look at the record of the other patient whose appointment you received. If that patient’s prescription for take home meds is what you’ve received today then it sounds like they’ve mixed you up with another patient and they need to check what chemo the other patient had and if that ties in with what you’ve received today.

That's for the Hospital to sort out, not the OP. She had enough in her plate and no access to other patient details.

starfishmummy · 28/03/2023 20:52

People need to know what drugs they are given… the ‘pink one’ and the ‘little white tablet with a d on it’ just isn’t good enough when it’s something being put inside your body(the tablet one is an example of a patient telling me their medication)

I totally agree with you, patients do need to be told; but a few years ago I got basically got told "take this" by the nurse giving me my meds; and when I politely asked what it was and what it was for as I hadn't been told, she just brusquely told me "you don't have to have it if you don't want it".

Pinkishpurpleyblue · 28/03/2023 20:55

Gosh im shocked this has happened to you, i hope they get to the bottom. Take pictures of everything you can before you give it them back

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 28/03/2023 21:01

You could also ask them to look at the record of the other patient whose appointment you received. If that patient’s prescription for take home meds is what you’ve received today then it sounds like they’ve mixed you up with another patient and they need to check what chemo the other patient had and if that ties in with what you’ve received today.

This is what I was going to suggest.

This happened to my DD with her treatment (not chemo, but kidney stuff that was a mix of in hospital and then take home). Her day meds, take home meds and appointments were labelled and given to another child and DD was given the other child’s. It took the other Mum clocking something wasn’t right and demanding that they look into the patient whose appointments she’d been given to check what had happened before we found out (my Dds had changed that week so I was oblivious).

Don’t let it drop until you are completely satisfied that you know what happened.

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