Help - how do I get a private visiting nurse / health visitor?

[BarmySmarmy]

My Mum is in hospital with stomach pains - DRs say impacted constipation. They will let her home if they can arrange a visiting nurse / health visitor to go today and start whatever...incl enema. Much better she goes home, she is frail, v unhappy, uncomfortable and non resting in hospital, also hospital is an hour's drive from home, and my disabled sister is trying to manage her and my father who also has needs, so better if they are both in the same place.

If they can't arrange a health visitor, (it being weekend etc) can I find a private one? I have googled but can't seem to see how to access such services . Norfolk.

Thank you.

I think it would have to be arranged through the hospital/social services, you can't do it yourself.

Yes, that is what the two agencies I have spoken to have said.
Oh well.
Thank you.

They should contact the district nursing team.

the discharge nurse should contact the District nursing team for any visits needed
they will also need to arrange the prescribing authority for the nurse to administer whatever is needed , i.e. enema

health visitor is not who visits ..its the district nurses

This is district nurse business. The ward should be well aware of how to refer and what information the nurses need.

In some (forward thinking) areas this can happen over a weekend but in most, you are stuck until monday.

Its a slightly risky business clearing a frail persons impacted bowel, you can cause a perforation. I should hope they are started the treatment on the ward.

Thank you for the clarification about district nurses.

Apparently they hospital have not managed to make provision over the weekend. They have sent her home with suppositories for 'a family member' to help with. She cannot reach, my father is incapable.... (I am a day's travel away)

No! That's terrible . And I don't know what to advise ...

If I were in your shoes I would call OH GP . I would also contact PALS at the hospital and complain .

Yes, OOH and then PALS.

Good grief!!

This sounds like an inappropriate discharge. Did they give an enema in hospital? Have they given instructions? Have DNs been contacted? Have your mothers symptoms improved? What does the discharge letter say?

If she is no better you might need to back to hospital.

Sadly this is very common in my experience as a nurse on the district. If you call OOH gp they will contact the weekend district nursing team to visit your mother .
Hopefully the district nurse will also make a complaint to the ward for an unsafe discharge.

Thank you all,
She is back in hospital. She has been scanned. She is vomiting bile, probably has a blockage caused by adhesions from previous surgery and has an abdomen full of fluid and gas. No bowel movement whatsoever.

She has been waiting all day for the senior registrar to visit but s/he has been in surgery and not available.

It is clear that she should not have been discharged yesterday. Having had no form of scan or x-ray.

She is 84 years old .

I will get myself there in the morning.

Hope she recovers soon , glad she's in the right place now.

I'm so sorry . Hope she gets the care she needs .

But sadly you'll probably have to keep a close eye on that .

OP have been thinking of you and your poor mum . How are things ?

Thank you.
After 3 horrendous days and nights full of gas and fluid she was finally operated on yesterday. She crashed badly after she came back to the ward with very low blood pressure and oxygen levels for some hours, but they worked hard to get her stable and I am waiting to call and see if she had a comfortable night.
I won't go into detail but You are right about the need to keep a close eye. Once she was an emergency (or acknowledged as such) the care and attention was fantastic. 'Conservative care': many things that should have happened (incl replacement of oxygen) did not. I looked on the ward staffing chart: they typically operate on 79% of recommended staffing levels.

Thank you for thinking of us, she should be on the road to recovery now.

That's kind of you to update .I'm sure you have greater priorities .

My sympathy to you both ,what a horrible time . Your experience of NHS and how it copes with acute problems and attempts to cope with day to day care mirrors mine . And noting the staff levels .

It seems necessary to shout to ensure attention sometimes .And no doubt this doesn't come naturally or easily .

Your mum is lucky to have you .I hope she's doing better soon .