Do you trust your local hospital...

[LovelyBath]

To check things out properly if you're suddenly ill?

I am struggling with this. Over the last three years mine has sent me home twice, with serious conditions (one very rare I admit). I complained the first time, was told things like "I seemed healthy and comfortable with painkillers" and that with regard to not being given tests required, "such facilities are not standing empty..and staff are only available on certain days" Not exactly reassuring then.

I have recently found that, the hospital is undergoing enforcement action from the Care Quality Commission, and that, the two winters when this happened to me, things were in pretty dire straits and several serious incidents had occurred. It seems, the hospital was similar to the Stafford one in that it was going for becoming a foundation trust and not focussing on patients. Care was described as 'unsafe'

Things seem to be improving, apparently they've had a lot of funding for A & E and have had some sort of help by a kind of intensive help service to improve A and E.

I think it's better to get a letter from the GP to bypass A and E and go straight to the assessment ward. However my GP in the past has not been great at this, I've been left and had to rush in in a bad state with no information.

Has anyone else had this kind of situation?

Having read that through, I suppose the sensible thing to do is to speak to the GPs and ask that, in future, they take my symptoms seriously and in any likelihood things could get serious please to send me in with a letter, in light or previous experiences with the hospital. Any advise welcome

Yes I do.

(I work there)

I trust them to care for me - when I had a bout of ill health I was looked after very well. I don't trust them to have a bed available though but I suppose that's an issue most hospitals struggle to work around.

No definitely not

No, they've let us down too many times.

No they have nearly let me & DS die in childbirth and a close family member has had several mistakes (ie wrong medication, wrong results, not being diagnosed correctly) made in the last 6 weeks resulting in them almost dying and currently on a ventilator.

Absolutely not. You would not believe the things that have happened to my family in that place.

not at all - DH was rushed in last year and discharged with MRSA. The GPs surgery is run by numbskulls as they were incredibly dim over the whole thing. The sad thing is both DH and DS work for the NHS, and understand how hard things are, but it seems as if the badly named "managers" have no idea how to deal with things, and wouldn't be able to run a booze up in a brewery

So.. what to do? If complaining doesn't work..

I've now got more aware of the possibility of my main health problem happening again (it's an emergency condition) and have got got referred to a surgeon specialising in it at the hospital in the nearest city. He has told me he'll come and see me himself when I get there at A and E which is reassuring, he said "You're a patient at this hospital now so just tell them (A and E) you're in my care. I'm working with the GPs to get their secretary to set up a system for an ambulance to take me there instead, in an emergency.

Dh has been to the local one (with a GP letter) last week and recieved good care, they diligently did tests and the wards were looking much better and the staff were good so I was a little reassured.

I'm worried my the amount of people it seems also not trusting the care. Have any of you complained and how did it go?

Loveisthedrug if you work there..

Would you say it's improved? Do you think they treat patient's who've made complaints differently? I noticed a sign once when I was in about a 'serious incident' do you know why that would be there? And sorry for so many questions, do you think it's better not to go to A and E but get a letter for the SAU?

No. It's been on the news quite a bit over the years for it's failings. Unfortunately, the next nearest (which is a whole lot better) is having cutbacks, so even more people will be relying on it

No - not at all. At their best they are incompetent and at their worst they are dangerous. There is no point in complaining, you will be fobbed off with the "lessons have been learnt" bollocks.

Sorry, I work at my local, not yours

I'm not hugely involved in pt complaints & the resolution process to be honest, so can't answer the questions re that. Sorry

As for treating complainants differently, ime, they are often treated more favourably in order to resolve their complaint where possible. Future treatment of previous complainants? No, we have no idea if you've made a complaint in the past, it isn't recorded/flagged anywhere in my trust and so it would be difficult for me to discriminate against you on those grounds if you showed up requiring treatment.

Loveisthedrug

Thanks that's reassuring about the complaint stuff.

No way in hell!

No, have had some bad experiences there, including really nasty behaviour by nurses.
I have more trust in the GP surgery, but they are now under pressure not to refer to hospital, which is dangerous, as of course as generalists there is a great deal they don't know.

Our local hospital is most definitely the worst in the country (I'm in Ireland)

Between being on constant lock down with mrsa and the winter vomiting bug.
Staff not washing their hands, blood on toilet floors, dirty sinks and showers.
Misdiagnoses involving my family members.

If I am ever brought to this hospital I will run screaming from the building.

I have complained and it makes no difference

This think about the GPs being under pressure not to refer to hospital- I've heard of this also. It is worrying, especially as things may be easier to treat in earlier stages so would work out worse all round in the long run.

Does this also apply to them referring people up to the hospital for same day assessments I wonder?

I had a bad experience last year after just giving birth and the week a after , they refused to give me scans and I had severe symptoms staring them right in the face , I was referred 4times to shopital over a course of 5'days and when they actually gave me a scan I had a massive blood clot ! Which has affected my life ever since and will proberbly for the rest of my life ! 7 doctors ( 3 of which were senior consultants ) all miss diagnosed me and I'm suffering from their negligence still ! I've lost trust in the NHS ! Thank god my GPs done their jobs properly thats all I can say !

Franculli sorry to hear about your experience. I've also had something life threatening missed and sent home and nearly died...said in my case could have test but neaded to wait for nearly 2 weeks then was told this was 'usually something we'd see in a third world situation and most people would have presented far sooner' as if it was all my fault..

Yes, it would be scary enough having something serious and getting it sorted out but when they don't..it can be doubly terrifying. I too would have been much better if treated sooner, have these awful adhesions now causing problems which they don't want to really talk about..

Yes indeed it makes you very angry at the least , both myself and my GP have made formal complaints as I've been advised it's clinical negligence I hope my case will have an outcome where is stops this from happening to anyone else and save lives and even just the inconvenience and disdress it has caused me and my family ! Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy !

Yes in your case it really is ridiculous they missed it when you were showing such symptoms, in mine it was a bit different and very unusual, but they made mistakes in not checking previous records and not having tests available.. I hope you get a better response than I did. At least in future hopefully you'll get much better treatment as they won't want to make more mistakes.

Yeah I hope so too will keep you updated on this thread if there is any progress x

I used to. I don't anymore. :(