matab
11-14-2008, 11:21 AM
My husbands back was broken when a car ploughed into him several years ago. We were told that he only had bruising and he would be better in 2 weeks time. This was not the case, he is still suffering severely. His x-rays had revealed his broken back and indeed the hospital had reported this correctly. No-one was informed. For a year he was treated as if he was malingering. He could not get access to the help and support he needed. Our requests for further tests were put off or turned down. Months later a further test revealed the problem but again we were not informed. It took nearly a year and a third test to find out what had happened to him.
Obviously I complained.
There are three stages to the complaints process. Each is long and drawn out and not likely to bring a quick resolution of the problems from my experience.
1. Local resolution
Our letters had little success in getting them to acknowledge they had made mistakes. We then went to see them where they misled us in the details they provided about how the mistake happened and how easy it was for doctors to recognise the problem occured and what the eventual outcome with treatment might have been. They tried to turn thing around and made comments about why we did not return (we went to the GP), why the GP did not do anything (he had a negative report from the hospital) and why the further tests did not pick it up. Anything to draw fire from their mistakes.
2. Independent review
The Healthcare Commission only seemed to take evidence from the doctors involved at the hospital. Even the subsequent medical notes and forms we had filled in about his condition did not seem to be taken into account. For that matter, they even ignored the notes made by the hospital themselves at the time of the accident. They only seemed to give weight to the current opinions of the hospital staff involved.
They did not uphold my complaint.
I thought their response was ridiculous and asked them to review it again. They then closed the file.
After a long wait I contancted them again and asked them about their progress. They said the case was now closed. I had clearly asked them to review the case again so they had to re-open it but simply getting the files back to the people involved took weeks.
Again, they did not uphold the complaint.
3. Ombudsman
I then sent the case to the Ombudsman. They took months to review it but regularly made contact and discussed the case with me. The person in charge seemed much more understanding than the Healthcare Commission. However, their decision - over two years after the intial complaint - was to return it to the Healthcare Commission because they believe they have not reviewed the case properly and there is more they could have done.
While this is very true, I am still waiting to hear from the Healthcare Commission and this all just seems to be a time waisting process. We have not got to the stage where the hospital independently admitted their mistakes to me but the Healthcare Commission were still giving the earlier line of the hospital and not upholding my complaint.
As far as I know, no procedures have been changed at the hospital to prevent this kind of mistake occuring in future.
Are other peoples experiences similar?
Obviously I complained.
There are three stages to the complaints process. Each is long and drawn out and not likely to bring a quick resolution of the problems from my experience.
1. Local resolution
Our letters had little success in getting them to acknowledge they had made mistakes. We then went to see them where they misled us in the details they provided about how the mistake happened and how easy it was for doctors to recognise the problem occured and what the eventual outcome with treatment might have been. They tried to turn thing around and made comments about why we did not return (we went to the GP), why the GP did not do anything (he had a negative report from the hospital) and why the further tests did not pick it up. Anything to draw fire from their mistakes.
2. Independent review
The Healthcare Commission only seemed to take evidence from the doctors involved at the hospital. Even the subsequent medical notes and forms we had filled in about his condition did not seem to be taken into account. For that matter, they even ignored the notes made by the hospital themselves at the time of the accident. They only seemed to give weight to the current opinions of the hospital staff involved.
They did not uphold my complaint.
I thought their response was ridiculous and asked them to review it again. They then closed the file.
After a long wait I contancted them again and asked them about their progress. They said the case was now closed. I had clearly asked them to review the case again so they had to re-open it but simply getting the files back to the people involved took weeks.
Again, they did not uphold the complaint.
3. Ombudsman
I then sent the case to the Ombudsman. They took months to review it but regularly made contact and discussed the case with me. The person in charge seemed much more understanding than the Healthcare Commission. However, their decision - over two years after the intial complaint - was to return it to the Healthcare Commission because they believe they have not reviewed the case properly and there is more they could have done.
While this is very true, I am still waiting to hear from the Healthcare Commission and this all just seems to be a time waisting process. We have not got to the stage where the hospital independently admitted their mistakes to me but the Healthcare Commission were still giving the earlier line of the hospital and not upholding my complaint.
As far as I know, no procedures have been changed at the hospital to prevent this kind of mistake occuring in future.
Are other peoples experiences similar?