Disgusted at the NHS

rachel6188

iv spent alot of time in and out of hospital in the last 3 years (longest iv been home is 3 months) and iv got to say the standard varys from ward to ward and even nurse to nurse. on a ward i was on i had a nurse still giving meds out 3 hours late so i went and asked another nurse for it. iv had some bad care and seen some really clean wards and some really dirty. im so sorry your mum and yourself had to go through that its horrendous.
i agree with writing to the hospital and i hope your mum feels abit better soon xxxx

skintstudentnurse

tandraig wrote: »

i have to say though - i have noticed the decline since they did away with SENs and auxhiliary nurses (who did most of the patient care). the nurses these days dont clean, they dont wash the patients, they dont make beds unless the patients has died or left, they dont feed them, and they are overworked???????????? oh and dont bother asking for bedpan - you may get one in a couple of hours if you nag enough!
oh and if youre in pain - tough - you will get meds when they feel like giving them out - once in a shift!

I'm very sorry to hear of the way you have been treated while in hospital. BUT as a student nurse can I just point out that it is the minority of nurses who can't be bothered, the rest of us are tired of being tarred with the same brush! I DO wash patients, I DO feed patients and make sure they are taking fluids, I DO fetch bedpans/commodes, I DON'T leave patients in soiled clothing and bedding, I DO clean and change beds and lastly I DO MOP UP URINE/BLOOD/FAECES and whatever else! Whoever says that nurses don't clean is wrong!

Also this bring back matron rant, how about getting rid of some of the over paid non clinical managers and employing more nurses so there are enough staff to be able to do their job properly?

Can I also repeat what others have said, if your care has not been up to standard, complain in writing.

Morglin

KittyKate wrote: »

I went to the hospital yesterday with my mum. Back story - she is currently in remission from breast cancer and she was having an op yesterday to have a biposy on her scar tissue following a mastectomy & some reconstructive interim surgery.

So, the letter said to come to the arrivals lounge at the infirmary at 7.15 am. She did so (my train was running late so I arrived at 7.20). There were about 20 people in the arrivals lounge and all had brought a guest. The letter from the hospital stated that each patient could bring one guest to accompany them.

At 7.15 a 'grumpy' nurse sent all the relatives home - people were crying, begging, but the nurse had none of it saying there was no room (there was - there were about 45 seats). I arrived late, sat with my mum and was told I could stay (which I was glad of, but other patients were understandably upset).

At 9am all patients were made to change into support stockings, open backed gown and dressing gown and go and sit back in the lounge - old men, younger people, old and young women, all sitting in various states of undress. My mum who is quite old fashioned and used to be a nurse at that same hospital was embarrased and horrified.

No one was allowed to eat or drink...so the nurse put her 'favourite' cookery programme on the TV (until some patients complained).

At 12, 2 people were asked to change and go home as there were no beds. My mum was told she was lucky.

She was taken into surgery at 1.15 after a 6 hour wait in a grotty, smelly, old waiting room surrounded by strangers in surgery gowns. I was absolutely disgusted. Is this what the NHS has come to?

My mum served at that hospital for 15 years as a children's burns nurse and this is how her years of service and tax is repaid? By this 'time saving' 'bed lottery'?

When I had to leave, I walked through the hospital to see patients on trolleys left in corridors and one old man in a wheelchair left outside the loo near an open door (v cold) whilst the nurse went for a cig!!!

My mum's OK in hospital now (thankfully due to the nature of her surgery she was at least given a private room) but her 9am departure has been delayed to 'teatime, possibly tomorrow' because the doctor is too busy to check her. She rang me from the room and said she's in a blood soaked gown and her dressing hasn't been changed since surgery and no nurses have checked on her since 9am (she can't walk to find one). I've been calling the ward for 4 hours and no-one answers. I know nurses work hard for low pay but it doesn't explain why every time I've been in the ward the nurses have been sat having a chat, outside having a cig, sat eating, ignoring the buzzer calls from patients.

I called my husband and said dogs get treated better. I don't care how much Bupa costs in the future - I won't have my mum subjected to this again.

Unfortunately, for those of us that have to use hospitals a lot, an all too common tale.

I've got to the point where I won't go into a NHS hospital unless it's life threatening - for any minor procedure I need, I go privately.

There are a few good NHS hospitals, but it's a lottery as to which ones they are!

Hope your mum is ok.

Lin

danielanthony

My missus is a nurse and works long 13 hour days, often with no breaks due to how busy they are.

Plus she has two degree's and gets paid less than most graduates for mopping up p*ss, cleaning people and putting up with relatives who have no idea about the stress the staff are under.

Some hospitals might be run badly, but not all are. Don't forget that nurses get paid a pittance for how qualified they are and for what they have to do as part of their jobs. I certainly wouldn't want to do it.

bank_of_slate

How's your Mum doing now kitty?
...Linda xx

frugallass

KittyKate I'm sorry that you and your mum had such a nightmare experience - standards of cleanliness and care in the NHS have really slipped and everyone suffers.

As already suggested put your concerns in writing to the Chief Exec, contact your MP and the press, DO NOT let this go - your mum does not deserve the treatment she received and she should receive an apology.

I'd rather be seen by a vet than a doctor - you can get an appointment quicker, the place is cleaner and they treat you with more respect.

KittyKate

danielanthony wrote: »

My missus is a nurse and works long 13 hour days, often with no breaks due to how busy they are.

Plus she has two degree's and gets paid less than most graduates for mopping up p*ss, cleaning people and putting up with relatives who have no idea about the stress the staff are under.

Some hospitals might be run badly, but not all are. Don't forget that nurses get paid a pittance for how qualified they are and for what they have to do as part of their jobs. I certainly wouldn't want to do it.

My mum was a nurse for 20 years and bedside manner & cleanliness cost nothing - even as an experienced & qualified burns nurse in the children's ward she earned a pittance. I do know how it is and I'm not saying it's all nurses to blame, far from it, but there seem to be far more now that are jaded with the terrible practices in operation by the NHS chiefs to save time and money that they forget they are treating people, not cattle.

I stood on that ward and watched nurses go for a cig, chat, watch TV, ignore the bedside buzzers, ignore the phone, and speak to relatives like dirt.

My poor mum wanted to say thanks and bye when she left (again as an ex nurse herself she knows how much a thanks means) but the nurse made it look like an effort to break off her personal conversation and turn around in her chair. My mum looked at me after we went and said 'it wasn't like that in my day'.

She's at home now recovering but has caught a terrible cold & sore throat - the only place she's been is that blasted busy shared waiting room half dressed, the nurses opened all the windows as they were hot & we had to ask them to be closed as people had started to put their coats on over their dressing gowns.

I am going to write a letter today to the hospital, I will paste it here and I am also looking at starting a petition and contacting the local press too.

bank_of_slate

http://www.patients-association.org.uk/

I would also contact the patient's association.
As well as offering you advice on how to make your point to get the best results they can probably offer support for yourselves too, as this experience has obviously been very upsetting!
...Linda xx

KittyKate

Thanks! I have started a petition on the no10 site and will post it on here once it is approved & hopefully with enough interest the Yorkshire Evening Post might get involved. It would be the proudest day of my life if they pulled the practice of mixed sex attendance wards.

patchwork_cat

Kittykate - I have been an outpatient at Dewsbury District which is part of the same trust as Pinderfields and it was appalling. I haven't had a procedure there, but in clinic they always over ran, cancelled appointements 2 and 3 times and once put me in with the wrong consultant. Whislt waiting for one appointment I was talking to patients who had been transferred from Pinderfields and the treatment by the whole trust was very poor. I complained, but it did no good.

I also last summer had an outpatients procedure at Calderdale Royal and was told to attend for 12 and not operated on until 5! Everyone else was kept waiting also at least 5 hours. We didn't have to get gowned until we had a bed though.

However my general feeling was that Dewsbury was worse and I have actually cancelled my operation there as to be frank I didn't trust them.

One of the problems in my opinion is that nurses are being treated more as clinicians and there is no one to fulfil the nursing role. The auxilliaries/ healthcare assistants aren't fulfilling the role - they are supposed to, but don't. Also does anyone have trouble identitfying if someone is an auxilliary or a nurse, I do. I seem to remember that they used to wear differnet uniforms, but as far as I can see not anymore.