morkatdog
02-02-2007, 05:17 PM
This posting might be a bit long so bear with me.Firstly-what a great site! Just hope you don't get taken off the web too soon,it's great to hear the story from both sides of the fence.May I add that the John Crippen and Tom Reynolds blogs are well worth a visit too,informative and humorous while making you feel a bit sick at the same time,you know what I mean.....
I am a mother with children and in my time I have/am been a patient of the NHS as have my family.I've also worked for the NHS as a chef.Although a small cog in a very big wheel,everyone has their place in it and my jam roly poly was worth dying for.....and several did! The amount of times the steamers ran dry and the smoke set off the fire alarms-ah yes the fire brigade love hospital kitchens.
It used to get really interesting when a psychiatric patient(it was a combination maternity and psychiatric hospital with children's health as a sideline,interesting combination!) er 'left a ward' and got into the kitchens brandishing one of our very large butchers knives.....we all used to lock ourselves into the larder and leave the head chef to fend for himself whilst trying to avoid being kebabed-ahh the good old days.
I deserted my post in the kitchens when the catering went from in-house to contracted out catering.The quality of food delivered went from reasonable to ridiculous in a very short period of time and if the food didn't get you then the cockroaches would so I decided enough was enough.
What is the woman rambling on about I hear you ask? Just a bit of background to say I've seen it from a different viewpoint because what comes next is anything but humourous.
Two years ago my local hospital killed my step-father as surely as if they had put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.Oooh that's a bit dramatic I hear you cry.Without going into too much detail the cover-up would do the CIA proud.Photo's of a wound taken by horrified district nurses being 'mislaid'.Different services at the hospital desperate to pass the buck onto each other.A Chief Executive continually on leave and no-one else available.An ambiguous post-mortem report-you get the idea.
Did we ever get anywhere?No,only my mother driven to a nervous breakdown.Would I ever try to complain again? Not unless we had such a watertight case such as watching a Doctor(as an example)stabbing a patient to death and having photo's and video footage as he jumps up and down saying 'I've stabbed him,I've stabbed him' and even then I'd be doubtful.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.My friends nephew was run over.The local hospital saved his life.His left leg was a mess.Local hospital didnt want to send him to a London hospital,their attitude was we can deal with this.A year later,countless operations,pins's etc with my friends nephew still in hospital they admit defeat and due to gangrene want to amputate.Friends nephew in agony-doesnt want the hospital to do it,doe'snt trust them any more.A visiting London surgeon agree to review the case and see the patient.Then my friend's nephew-A 12 YEAR OLD BOY-breaks down in front of said surgeon and begs him to take him to another hospital and perform a full amputation.His request was granted.
At the subsequent court case it proved gross negligence against the hospital and the boy has been awarded millions.Parting shot from the Chief Executive?'I hope you realise that money is coming out of our budget that we need for patients' Forgive me but I thought my friends nephew was a patient as well.......
Don't get me wrong,there are some very good departments at our local hospital,breast clinic,foot surgery( the surgeon was so impressed with the state of my brothers feet and toenails he wanted to video the op and use it as a teaching aid!)chest etc and the day surgery ward is very good as well.As are other departments not mentioned.Now I found I need an operation myself.I've booked it elsewhere.For the operation I need it has been recognised as a better place to have than my local hospital.My daughter is ill also.
My GP is MARVELLOUS.I took my daughter to A+E as told to by my doctor if her symptoms got worse.Big mistake.Even though polite I was left with the distinct impression that I should have used OOH or waited to see our Doctor and NOT to bring her back as she has been referred as an out patient.I didn't use an ambulance and my daughter has been suffering from constant abdominal pain bad enough to wake her at night for six weeks.She had already been kept in just after Christmas.Basic tests performed,can't find anything wrong,must be gastritus.In for a few hours and out follow-up appointment to follow.It did'nt.Regular trips to Doc's,refers her again tries different treatments,nothing helping.
On two lots of antibiotics and after three days her temperature spiked at 101.8 at midnight.I thought the best thing would be to do would be to take her straight to the local A+E which I have already mentioned.My daughter has had about 4-5 hours sleep at night for the past six weeks due to the pain(I have been in her room with her)Very distressed the next morning my GP saw us both straight away.To say he was upset is an understatment.He has requested an urgent ultrasound which I now believe she won't get,and I'm worried I've got my GP in trouble as I don't think the request will get past PCT as the A+E will say she's been seen,has a soft belly and certainly doesn't need an urgent test if she gets one at all.
I'm also worried I've compromised any future treatment as this is now on her hospital notes.I was worried.I thought the temperature may have had something to do with her pain.The hospital doctor also said he couldn't understand why she was on the antibiotics and to stop them.Also on Zantac.He said he would'nt prescribe it but give it to her if I wanted.His department prescribed it in the first place......My Doctor said continue the anti-biotics.I have faith in him and will do as he say's.As I said before my GP is great and I am worried for him.If someone could put my mind at rest as to what happens in this situation(can't be the first!)I'd be grateful.The last thing I want to do is cause problems for our Doctor.Thanks for listening.It doe's help to write it down.
I am a mother with children and in my time I have/am been a patient of the NHS as have my family.I've also worked for the NHS as a chef.Although a small cog in a very big wheel,everyone has their place in it and my jam roly poly was worth dying for.....and several did! The amount of times the steamers ran dry and the smoke set off the fire alarms-ah yes the fire brigade love hospital kitchens.
It used to get really interesting when a psychiatric patient(it was a combination maternity and psychiatric hospital with children's health as a sideline,interesting combination!) er 'left a ward' and got into the kitchens brandishing one of our very large butchers knives.....we all used to lock ourselves into the larder and leave the head chef to fend for himself whilst trying to avoid being kebabed-ahh the good old days.
I deserted my post in the kitchens when the catering went from in-house to contracted out catering.The quality of food delivered went from reasonable to ridiculous in a very short period of time and if the food didn't get you then the cockroaches would so I decided enough was enough.
What is the woman rambling on about I hear you ask? Just a bit of background to say I've seen it from a different viewpoint because what comes next is anything but humourous.
Two years ago my local hospital killed my step-father as surely as if they had put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.Oooh that's a bit dramatic I hear you cry.Without going into too much detail the cover-up would do the CIA proud.Photo's of a wound taken by horrified district nurses being 'mislaid'.Different services at the hospital desperate to pass the buck onto each other.A Chief Executive continually on leave and no-one else available.An ambiguous post-mortem report-you get the idea.
Did we ever get anywhere?No,only my mother driven to a nervous breakdown.Would I ever try to complain again? Not unless we had such a watertight case such as watching a Doctor(as an example)stabbing a patient to death and having photo's and video footage as he jumps up and down saying 'I've stabbed him,I've stabbed him' and even then I'd be doubtful.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.My friends nephew was run over.The local hospital saved his life.His left leg was a mess.Local hospital didnt want to send him to a London hospital,their attitude was we can deal with this.A year later,countless operations,pins's etc with my friends nephew still in hospital they admit defeat and due to gangrene want to amputate.Friends nephew in agony-doesnt want the hospital to do it,doe'snt trust them any more.A visiting London surgeon agree to review the case and see the patient.Then my friend's nephew-A 12 YEAR OLD BOY-breaks down in front of said surgeon and begs him to take him to another hospital and perform a full amputation.His request was granted.
At the subsequent court case it proved gross negligence against the hospital and the boy has been awarded millions.Parting shot from the Chief Executive?'I hope you realise that money is coming out of our budget that we need for patients' Forgive me but I thought my friends nephew was a patient as well.......
Don't get me wrong,there are some very good departments at our local hospital,breast clinic,foot surgery( the surgeon was so impressed with the state of my brothers feet and toenails he wanted to video the op and use it as a teaching aid!)chest etc and the day surgery ward is very good as well.As are other departments not mentioned.Now I found I need an operation myself.I've booked it elsewhere.For the operation I need it has been recognised as a better place to have than my local hospital.My daughter is ill also.
My GP is MARVELLOUS.I took my daughter to A+E as told to by my doctor if her symptoms got worse.Big mistake.Even though polite I was left with the distinct impression that I should have used OOH or waited to see our Doctor and NOT to bring her back as she has been referred as an out patient.I didn't use an ambulance and my daughter has been suffering from constant abdominal pain bad enough to wake her at night for six weeks.She had already been kept in just after Christmas.Basic tests performed,can't find anything wrong,must be gastritus.In for a few hours and out follow-up appointment to follow.It did'nt.Regular trips to Doc's,refers her again tries different treatments,nothing helping.
On two lots of antibiotics and after three days her temperature spiked at 101.8 at midnight.I thought the best thing would be to do would be to take her straight to the local A+E which I have already mentioned.My daughter has had about 4-5 hours sleep at night for the past six weeks due to the pain(I have been in her room with her)Very distressed the next morning my GP saw us both straight away.To say he was upset is an understatment.He has requested an urgent ultrasound which I now believe she won't get,and I'm worried I've got my GP in trouble as I don't think the request will get past PCT as the A+E will say she's been seen,has a soft belly and certainly doesn't need an urgent test if she gets one at all.
I'm also worried I've compromised any future treatment as this is now on her hospital notes.I was worried.I thought the temperature may have had something to do with her pain.The hospital doctor also said he couldn't understand why she was on the antibiotics and to stop them.Also on Zantac.He said he would'nt prescribe it but give it to her if I wanted.His department prescribed it in the first place......My Doctor said continue the anti-biotics.I have faith in him and will do as he say's.As I said before my GP is great and I am worried for him.If someone could put my mind at rest as to what happens in this situation(can't be the first!)I'd be grateful.The last thing I want to do is cause problems for our Doctor.Thanks for listening.It doe's help to write it down.