I want to Make a Formal Complaint about the District Nurses? Help?

Penny-Pincher!!

District nurses can be a law to themselves and Ive had many problems over the past couple of years with them on this and that and thinking they know better than my top consultants.

There should be a list in your mums purple nursing folder with the sister in charges details. Get in contact NOW as there is someone there 24/7. You will be put through to a helpline who will relay messages and someone will call you back.

If you could be there the next time the DN's come or ask for a visit when you can be with the sister in charge, you can see what excuses they are making etc.

HTH.

PP
xx

meritaten

hasnt anyone noticed that in her FIRST post the OP has stated that her mum HAS a female catheter in the house and that BOTH the GP and the mums Urologist has stated that female catheters are to be used? as in

My mum has spoken to both her GP and her urologist, and they have both written to the district nurses telling them that they must use a female catheter. They STILL choose to ignore this, and have taken it upon themselves to order her a supply of male catheters to keep at the house. Their excuse it that as standard, they will fit a male catheter should they need to change one.

I really think the nurses are ignoring the medical advice here! there is a reason that the GP and Urologist insist on female catheters. They must be leaving themselves open to (dare I say it) legal action?

Penny-Pincher!!

SqueekyMouse wrote: »

Since the GP has said that a female catheter should be used, could he prescribe some for your mum to keep at her house which the district nurses could fit (more MSE than her buying them!)

The OP said her mum has that at home already to use.

saidan

the only difference between male and female catheters is the length

the male urethra is much longer than a womans (20cm compared to 4cm approx) and so a longer catheter is needed

when worn on a woman it simply means a longer tube coming out of the body which can be inconvienient to hide under clothing

it will not be making your mum's catheter by-pass - this is either a problem with the width size eg, 12, 14, or 16, or your mum is not peeing much and the 'sludge' this causes is blocking the tube......encourage your mum to drink lots to keep her bladder flushing through.

as somebody has already said - catheter sizes are now becoming universal - rather than male & female - have the nurses explained that?

meritaten - nurses do not take orders from GP/hospital drs regarding catheters & wound dressings............Yes nurses are ABLE to make clinical decision such as these and actually generally know more than the GP would.

All that said - if your mum has female catheters available, and wants them to be used the district nurses should be using them - unless clinically inappropriate. Could you be there for her next change and express your mum's wishes asking if there is a clinical reason not to use them?

hth.

meritaten

saidan wrote: »

the only difference between male and female catheters is the length

the male urethra is much longer than a womans (20cm compared to 4cm approx) and so a longer catheter is needed

when worn on a woman it simply means a longer tube coming out of the body which can be inconvienient to hide under clothing

it will not be making your mum's catheter by-pass - this is either a problem with the width size eg, 12, 14, or 16, or your mum is not peeing much and the 'sludge' this causes is blocking the tube......encourage your mum to drink lots to keep her bladder flushing through.

as somebody has already said - catheter sizes are now becoming universal - rather than male & female - have the nurses explained that?

meritaten - nurses do not take orders from GP/hospital drs regarding catheters & wound dressings............Yes nurses are ABLE to make clinical decision such as these and actually generally know more than the GP would.

All that said - if your mum has female catheters available, and wants them to be used the district nurses should be using them - unless clinically inappropriate. Could you be there for her next change and express your mum's wishes asking if there is a clinical reason not to use them?

hth.

What an arrogant statement that is! Both the GP and the consultant Urologist have specified that female catheters must be used. But, District Nurses know better! Why bother with Doctors? or Consultants? apparently, their years at medical school and in the surgery/consulting rooms are nothing compared to District nurses!

IHD

As your mum is still under the care of the hospital? Contact P.A.L.S. They are very helpful when dealing with complaints. Google for your nearest branch. They will help you through the complaint and also speak on your behalf.

FBaby

The District Nurses will most likely be employed by a Community Health Trust (or joint acute/community). They will work as per the service specification within the contract. They cannot decide what they want to do, nor GPs or consultants. The service specs WILL have been written in consultation with clinicians.

There isn't much she can do about it if indeed the DN are following the spec but try to see whether if she bought them herself, they agreed to fit them. I would ask which Trust they operate under and write to their PALS office to inquire about the above possibility.

Racheldevon

I would second the suggestion to go to PALS - they were very helpful in supporting the resolution of an issue with nursing staff regarding my grandad's care, and can liaise with the professionals involved. Worth a try!

sunnyone

Supra pubic indwell catherters are normally 16ch male ones, thats what I have and I personally cant fault my district nurses.

I cant understand why the OP's mother is having these problems, my urologist gives me a letter at every clinic to go in my patient held district nurse records and that form my treatment plan alongside my PCTs catharter care plan, I need a lot of care becaus my stoma gets constant infections due to the immuno suppressants I take for my RA so I ee a lot of the DN and I cant fault them as they go over and above what is expected of them.

I also cant understand why her mum has to go to the chemist for supplies, mine are delivered the day after I request them, my repeat scrip just for cathater care is two pages when you add in the cleaning supplies, seringes, gloves, alcohol wipes, G straps, nets, leg bags, night bags, night stands, etc. so it wouldnt be easy for a chemist to supply what i need in a small time frame, even the big chemists cant do it.

would complan OP, this isnt on, its bad enoguh that you need perminant catheterisation due to a disability without the problems your mums having.

'xscue the spellings, my meds have kicked in, mmmmmmmmmmm

sali_mali

meritaten wrote: »

What an arrogant statement that is! Both the GP and the consultant Urologist have specified that female catheters must be used. But, District Nurses know better! Why bother with Doctors? or Consultants? apparently, their years at medical school and in the surgery/consulting rooms are nothing compared to District nurses!

Hi meritaten. Just wanted to defend the nurses a bit - I am a doctor and actually, nurses are specialists in wound care, catheterisation and much more - they do know more than most doctors in these areas. Nurses aren't just there to follow doctors' orders, they also have clinical autonomy, plus areas of expertise doctors don't have. They're part of the team, not dogsbodies! I'd go to a nurse for wound care over a doctor, we're rubbish at it!

Having said that OP, if the GP and urologist have a particular reason for wanting female catheters used, this should have been clearly communicated to the nurses, so that everyone's in the know. If the nurses disagree, they should explain to the doctors and to your mum the reason they think the male catheters are more suitable. They definitely should not be going against your mothers express wishes without explaining to her why, it's disrespectful.

Bit of a lack of communication here I think. I hate it when patients are kept out the loop, it must be so frustrating and upsetting to feel out of control. I'm sorry she's having a tough time with her care.