Hospital releasing information?

Kaz2904

Not always the case. If the wards don't have any beds then you will be put on any surgical ward. He sounds like he's going in for something short though rather than his op. Also, the ward will have no idea about him yet because they won't get their theater list until the day before the op by which time he will have been admitted.
It is also unlikely that the bed manager at the hospital will know anything about him either.
Everything shuts down at the weekend and it's like wading through treacle to get any information for anyone. The only people who will know anything about admissions will be the Emergency Department (but he's not an emergency admission so ED contact isn't apropriate), the admissions unit (but he's not been admitted today so they won't have heard of him) and the bed manager (same again).

Unfortunately, you can do nothing about it at the weekend. On Monday you need to speak to someone who can give an idea of how long he may be in. That will depend on what he's having done though. You will then need to contact social services ASAP to get wheels in motion. It will be cutting things fine to get set up for Thrusday but they manage to do it in emergency situations so should be able to.
Have a think about what Mum needs too. Does she need to go in somewhere or would she manage with carers coming to her?

RacyRed

I've just been through this with a family member and with a north of England hospital.

1st time we were told to bring an overnight bag it was for an endoscopy (I think, there were so very many tests), usually admitted and released the same day but possible overnight stay required.

Things happened so fast that information was very hard to come by. Once the hospital had done most of the tests and decided on the course of treatment there was an appointment with the consultant where everything was explained. We were told that this should be an accompanied appointment, I went along and was asked to go into the consultation with my family member. Does your brother know if your father has such an appointment yet? That appointment happened just a few days before admiission for full surgery.

Surgery meant being in hospital for 10 to 14 days, with admission the day before the scheduled op so that bowel prep could be done. We were asked if we wanted to do this at home then go in on the day of the op, it is a series of drinks that had to be taken at specific times. Not nice and not comfortable for the patient though.

Allow at least a month or more for recovery, maybe longer given your father's age. A lot depends on how radical the surgery needs to be. If he is fortunate and it is keyhole then his recovery will be much quicker.

If our experience is anything to go by then the speed at which things are happening is a good thing, as the doctors do this when they think they have a chance of stopping the cancer in its tracks.

Your father may have been allocated a specific co-ordinator in the surgical unit at the hospital, if you can find out their name then they will be the best source of information for you.

It is such a dificult situation, good luck for your father's swift and full recovery.

74jax

Kaz2904 wrote: »

N He sounds like he's going in for something short though rather than his op. All he said was he had a letter to go in on Thursday for an operation, when we said what operation he said about tubes. When he questioned him he got flustered and said 'you know, what they said' But no we don't know. All we know is a stoma was 'mentioned'.

Unfortunately, you can do nothing about it at the weekend. On Monday you need to speak to someone who can give an idea of how long he may be in. That will depend on what he's having done though. You will then need to contact social services ASAP to get wheels in motion. It will be cutting things fine to get set up for Thrusday but they manage to do it in emergency situations so should be able to. I have SS on speed dial in preparation.

Have a think about what Mum needs too. Does she need to go in somewhere or would she manage with carers coming to her? We have suggested this before for Mam and Dad, but Dad refused. Mam can't get herself up, she would lie in til 4pm if left. She can't operate a cooker or the fire for example. If a carer came in they would have to do the cooking and turn the fire off on an evening, but Mam is one of these people who has had the fire on right the summer :eek: and sits with a headscarf on, so I think if someone came and turned the fire off, she wouldn't let them! Also I don't know how she would open the door, as she doesn't have strength to turn a key.

RacyRed wrote: »

Things happened so fast that information was very hard to come by. That is what we are finding too, and so many different people are involved and hospitals, we are so confused, never mind Dad. Once the hospital had done most of the tests and decided on the course of treatment there was an appointment with the consultant where everything was explained. We were told that this should be an accompanied appointment, I went along and was asked to go into the consultation with my family member. Does your brother know if your father has such an appointment yet? What we know (roughly is) dad went to docs with marks on tummy, tests done (biopsy done and a camera put up him as far as we know apparently at Carlisle hosp) about 1 month ago. Sent to Carlisle to have a scan - all we know from this is he had to sit with a blue drip for 2 hours? - Informed he had bowel cancer and to go to Carlisle Hosp with a family member. This was 3 weeks ago and when Dad finally told my brother. Brother went and he saw consultant but brother didn't go in to appointment and he had another scan. He then was asked would he like treatment in Lancaster or Newcastle (we asked him treatment but he said he didn't know....) he picked Lancaster. Went back to Carlisle Monday this week for another scan who referred him to Lancaster on Thursday for a 'larger' scan and yesterday he had this letter saying he was going in for an op Thursday next week in Whitehaven. (this can't be from the scan on Thursday cos there wouldn't have been time).


That appointment happened just a few days before admiission for full surgery.

Surgery meant being in hospital for 10 to 14 days, with admission the day before the scheduled op so that bowel prep could be done. We were asked if we wanted to do this at home then go in on the day of the op, it is a series of drinks that had to be taken at specific times. Not nice and not comfortable for the patient though.

Allow at least a month or more for recovery, maybe longer given your father's age. A lot depends on how radical the surgery needs to be. If he is fortunate and it is keyhole then his recovery will be much quicker.

If our experience is anything to go by then the speed at which things are happening is a good thing, as the doctors do this when they think they have a chance of stopping the cancer in its tracks.

Your father may have been allocated a specific co-ordinator in the surgical unit at the hospital, if you can find out their name then they will be the best source of information for you. He has never been to Whitehaven though, just Carlisle and Lancaster hospital. Plus this op at Whitehaven next week, can't be from the tests/scan on Thursday as it's way to quick, the letter was dated Wed and the scan was Thurs.
.

Thank you all so much for you help, I think I will start Monday by phoning WHitehaven, then contacting Lancaster re his scan on Thursday. I might also phone his doctor (in case has received any copy letters) and then contact SS to update them.

Thank you all again. Sometimes you need it all wrote down, to understand where you are with it all.

RacyRed

Watch out for letters being sent about an appointment then the appointment being changed when preliminary test results come through. We found this happened a lot. Appointments were made on a "likely to need" basis, before the relevant information was available, then rejigged. I think they set up a likely path of treatments to ensure the patient is in the system.

Sometimes we were phoned whith dates for new appointments while stil on our way home from tests!

Contact your parent's social services dept asap. it is amazing how quickly they can organise things in situations like this. Sounds as if residential respite care might be a good idea for your mum?

And don't forget that, with no-one at home to look after him, your father may need care for a little while after the op to ensure he is eating/drinking properly and for help with showering etc while his wound heals. We had less than 24 hours notice of discharge but the necessary care/district nurse package was put in place by the hospital & local council in that time. They tend to do it without consultation with the relatives though, so don't expect to be kept in the loop unless you insist. And there can be a charge for this.

ETA re the scans. 1st was possibly a CT scan? The big scan might be an MRI, they base treatment on the CT I think then use the MRI to dot the i's and cross the t's. I think...

Errata

TBH if I were in your shoes I'd phone dad's GP surgery first thing on Monday. Speak to the practice manager, explain the situation re your mum, your dad can't for some reason understand/explain what he has to go to Whitehaven hosp for on Thursday or how long he'll be there, and ask if the PM will get one of the GP's to explain it all to you over the phone so appropriate arrangements can be made for the care of both him and mum.
I honestly think you'll get more info from the practice than from either Whitehaven or Lancaster/Newcastle at this stage. I also think it's important that the GP understands there are no relatives able to look after the parents.

silvercar

We have suggested this before for Mam and Dad, but Dad refused. Mam can't get herself up, she would lie in til 4pm if left. She can't operate a cooker or the fire for example. If a carer came in they would have to do the cooking and turn the fire off on an evening, but Mam is one of these people who has had the fire on right the summer and sits with a headscarf on, so I think if someone came and turned the fire off, she wouldn't let them! Also I don't know how she would open the door, as she doesn't have strength to turn a key.

You need to make sure that SS are aware of this. The hospital may assume that your brother is able to attend to your mother, given that he accompanies your father.

74jax

silvercar wrote: »

You need to make sure that SS are aware of this. The hospital may assume that your brother is able to attend to your mother, given that he accompanies your father.

Yes will do. They do have everything on file from when I phoned a few months ago asking for an assessment as I didn't think Dad could cope. Unfortunately as Dad was mentally ok, he was able to state yes he could take care of Mam and didn't want any help - SS were actually very good, they recommended meals on wheels a couple of days, Mam to go to a stroke club for a few afternoons, a night once a month in a local respite centre, it was actually amazing the things that can be offered but unfortunately Dad turned all help down.

I have Mam's SS Case Worker's number and am able to speak to her about things. They are aware myself and my brother live almost 100 miles away however I will definitely make sure it is mentioned again.

Savvy_Sue

I'm with Errata, the GP should know what is going on and is often best placed to communicate with you if several hospitals are involved, if you can get a helpful person to speak to you.

margaretclare

74jax wrote: »

It's not that then, he has to be at hospital for 8.30am for his op at 12.00, he doesn't have to be in the day before.

Yes, this seems to be happening a lot now (admission for theatre same day) - much better than being admitted the day before then sitting around until surgery the following day getting more and more wound up and worrying. DH had prostate surgery in February and he was admitted at 7.30 am for surgery at 9 am, home the following day.

In view of his age etc he may have been asked to take an overnight bag 'just in case', even if the plan was to send him home the afternoon following surgery. I would think he shouldn't have to come home alone and certainly not to start looking after someone else the same day/day following a GA!

margaretclare

Having re-read some of this thread, I'm a bit confused. Is Dad being admitted for surgery, or for scan under GA? I think you said at first: admitted for scan but take an overnight bag.