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Should I complain or leave it?

Not sure if this is the correct place for this but have to share it as am so shocked. My OH had a problem with her eye yesterday and paid a visit to our local community minor injuries unit. A really friendly nurse carried out tests one of which involved putting some coloured liquid in the eye. After the test the nurse noticed that there was some orange staining on OH's face round her eye. Nurse did no more than got a tissue, SPAT on it and wiped it all around OH's eye (the one with the infection in it!)!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nurse then went on to ask OH about any medication currently being taken and OH informed her she was on tramadol (pain relief) for an ongoing problem (but added it was not really helping much with the pain). Nurse then told OH to take the tramadol with a gin and tonic every evening, she kept stressing she was not joking, it really helps with the pain relief and she said she had been doing it herself when she was on these tablets recently and that it had had a much better effect with the alcohol. OH stresses she was seriously not joking about this (anyway, OH has a good sense of humour and would have realised if it was a joke).

Now, I am not a medical person but am horrified about both of these issues. Trouble is, nurse was actually really really friendly and nice and we are torn whether to say anything or not but have to bear in mind there could be a real health issue here if she makes a habit of using her spittle to cleanse patients faces! Or should we give her the benefit of the doubt that she just "forgot herself" for a moment, although I am also concerned about the issue of telling a patient to take alcohol with fairly strong painkillers. I appreciate how hard nurses work so am a bit torn. Any advice would be useful (are we overreacting?)
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Comments

  • Lorian
    Lorian Posts: 6,355 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    She may have forgotten herself for a moment with the spit. In a local establishment I've seen people preparing food often lick their fingers to open paper bags. I gently remind them it's not so good.

    But coupled with the tramadol advise, I'd complain. No idea who to, maybe there is someone in charge of the "local community minor injuries unit"?

    Don't forget you might need help from her again someday...
  • new_leaf_6
    new_leaf_6 Posts: 163 Forumite
    Are you kidding? A nurse spat and then wiped a patient's face? You've got no proof now but it shows how you can be intimidated by medical staff whether they have a nice manner or not. Just because someone wears a uniform doesn't give them the right to behave like that. Let it go - you'll keep kicking yourself for letting it happen but I bet you wouldn't let it happen again. As for the gin and tonic advice, maybe she's trying to get extra patients admitted with toxic poisoning so that she can do the spittle thing....
    "Life's too short to stuff a mushroom" - Shirley Conran...she wasn't an Old Styler then, was she? :rotfl:
  • gregg1
    gregg1 Posts: 3,148 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Lorian wrote:
    She may have forgotten herself for a moment with the spit. In a local establishment I've seen people preparing food often lick their fingers to open paper bags. I gently remind them it's not so good.

    But coupled with the tramadol advise, I'd complain. No idea who to, maybe there is someone in charge of the "local community minor injuries unit"?

    Don't forget you might need help from her again someday...

    Thanks. Yeah I thought about the fact that we might need her help (its a really useful place to go if kids have little accidents that are not bad enough for a hospital) and I think that has probably played a big part in the fact that I have not done anything yet. I think the tramadol bit is the real worry.

    Why DO people lick their fingers to open bags in shops - its horrible.
  • Need_More_Money_2
    Need_More_Money_2 Posts: 3,645 Forumite
    Sounds like she needs some infection control training.
    As for the Tramadol with alcohol, depends whether alcohol is contraindicated or not. What does it say in patient information leaflet
    According to the BNF there are "enhanced hypotensive and sedative effects when alcohol given with opioid analgesics ". So it sounds like it would help with sleep, but can lower blood pressure. Whether it is safe (and if so how much alcohol) is not clear and we can't give such advice on here anyway. Yor best bet would be to ask advice of a pharmacist
  • gregg1
    gregg1 Posts: 3,148 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    new_leaf wrote:
    Are you kidding? A nurse spat and then wiped a patient's face? You've got no proof now but it shows how you can be intimidated by medical staff whether they have a nice manner or not. Just because someone wears a uniform doesn't give them the right to behave like that. Let it go - you'll keep kicking yourself for letting it happen but I bet you wouldn't let it happen again. As for the gin and tonic advice, maybe she's trying to get extra patients admitted with toxic poisoning so that she can do the spittle thing....

    My OH is kicking herself for not saying something at the time, I think she was so gobsmacked it rendered her speechless (now there's a thought - maybe I should get spitty spittison to come and live with us - only joking - (or maybe not)!!).
  • gregg1
    gregg1 Posts: 3,148 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Sounds like she needs some infection control training.
    As for the Tramadol with alcohol, depends whether alcohol is contraindicated or not. What does it say in patient information leaflet
    According to the BNF there are "enhanced hypotensive and sedative effects when alcohol given with opioid analgesics ". So it sounds like it would help with sleep, but can lower blood pressure. Whether it is safe (and if so how much alcohol) is not clear and we can't give such advice on here anyway. Yor best bet would be to ask advice of a pharmacist


    its says do not take alcohol with this medicine but I think I will double check with the pharmacist - thanks.
  • Need_More_Money_2
    Need_More_Money_2 Posts: 3,645 Forumite
    gregg1 wrote:
    its says do not take alcohol with this medicine but I think I will double check with the pharmacist - thanks.

    If it says that in the patient information leaflet, it is highly unlikely that a pharmacist would say anything different.
  • hjb123
    hjb123 Posts: 32,002 Forumite
    gregg1 wrote:
    Why DO people lick their fingers to open bags in shops - its horrible.

    How do you open a bag that you are struggling to open? If I am struggling to open a bag I lick my finger and it opens straightaway!
    Weight Loss - 102lb
  • gregg1
    gregg1 Posts: 3,148 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    If it says that in the patient information leaflet, it is highly unlikely that a pharmacist would say anything different.


    Just spoken to a pharmacist at Boots - he checked his book and more or less said what you had said earlier - it can actually help you relax more when taken in conjunction with the tablets (even though the little leaflet with the tablets says otherwise) so thereby making you more drowsy and more able to sleep (which can't be bad when you are in pain). Maybe she was giving good advice after all (although still don't think OH liked being spat on though !!!).

    Think we will give her the benefit of the doubt and leave it at that - I will just have to be on spit patrol if we come across her again in the future and tell her where to get off if she tries to share her body fluids again.
  • gregg1
    gregg1 Posts: 3,148 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    hjb123 wrote:
    How do you open a bag that you are struggling to open? If I am struggling to open a bag I lick my finger and it opens straightaway!


    yeah but thats your own spit - do you really want someone else to open a bag with their spit that you are going to have your food put into? Actually, and I am showing my age here, but there was an advert on telly years ago showing what not to do if you are serving someone (it was something to do with health) and they actually showed a shop assistant licking their fingers under the what not to do bit. I know at sainsburys the staff are trained in all sorts of stuff and this is something they are told they absolutely must not do - so it is seen as being unacceptable I think.
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