Really hoping for some help here, as I have very limited experience of hospital procedure (probably a good thing!) and am getting increasingly anxious about my dad.
He’s 72, and was rushed to our local hospital by ambulance on Sunday night. He was vomiting and passing blood and was drifting in and out of consciousness. He has a history of stomach ulcers and has been taking aspirin and several other blood-thinning drugs since suffering a minor stroke in 2001 (I’m aware these drugs make any internal bleeding more likely and more severe.) He’s also had various tests recently for unexplained weight loss.
Once he was stabilised, he was in a holding bay for several hours before being given a bed. At the time we were told he’d need an emergency endoscopy to check for any further internal bleeding. He’s now been in hospital for two days, and this has not yet happened – apparently they’re ‘very busy’ and, despite being an emergency admission, he’s not enough of a priority. They now say they hope to carry out the procedure tomorrow, but there’s no guarantee. Meanwhile he’s still passing blood, and since he’s not allowed to eat in advance of the procedure he’s only eaten a sandwich and half a tin of soup in the past two days.
There seems to be no continuity of care or communication between departments.So far he’s been asked for his full medical history at least five or six times – the medical staff seem to note it down each time and then immediately forget it all. No one seems to be able to access the notes from his GP or the results of the barrage of tests he has recently undergone for his weight loss and anaemia. He’s on a drip, but other than that it seems he's being given very little care. A staff nurse told my mum today that his treatment would have been quicker if he’d gone home and come back as an outpatient!
I’m now really worried that he’s going to deteriorate further, and the longer he remains in hospital the greater his chance of weakening and contracting a bug. Several wards near his are already closed due to norovirus, and obviously this wouldn't help his digestive issues.The hospital is run-down, poorly resourced and historically has had a poor reputation. We have been as assertive as possible when we’ve been visiting (my dad hates to make a fuss and can be a bit of a pushover) What’s making it particularly hard to make our feelings known is that so far we haven’t seen the same person twice, and no one seems to be in overall charge of his care. So, what now? Is it time to lodge an official complaint, or does this risk making his care even worse?
Advice from NHS staff/anyone with more experience of the system gratefully received!