Tuesday, 19 October 2010

The NHS has let me down again...



You may have noticed that I've been quiet for a couple of days, I needed to take some time and try and get rid of the strange mood I've been in since last weeks hospital visit. The whole DVT thing is really beginning to get me down, not because of the daily injections or even the highly unfashionable tights but because the NHS keeps failing me.

Last week I had an appointment booked with the DVT nurse. I can't see her at my local hospital so I have to travel a few miles to see her at Southport. Being a new mum, I had to take Little E with me but I managed to get there on time so I felt quite pleased with myself. I headed through the hospital and knocked on the door of her office. There was no answer so I sat outside and waited. 10 minutes later she still hadn't appeared so I knocked again but nothing. I was conscious of the time because I had Little E with me and I knew she would be due a feed.

I decided to head to the reception area and try and find out where she was. They paged her but she didn't reply. After various phone calls it was established that the DVT nurse had gone home ill. Fair enough but she could have called me or at least left a note on her office door.

I was sent up to ward 10A - a ward where they hold people that have come in via A&E. The last thing I wanted was to take Little E up there - god knows what kind of germs were flying around. I only needed a blood test and some quick measurements to be taken for some new DVT tights, so I headed up.

The ward was packed, there were no beds left and one lady was being sick in to a bed pan in the corridor. Nauseating.

I was ushered to the bottom of the ward where all of the equipment is kept. "You're just here for a blood test aren't you?" "Well no, I need to be fitted for my DVT tights too." "Well we don't do that here, you need to get that done at your doctors." - Great the doctors where I was yesterday, could you not have mentioned that when I was here last week? Could I not have just had my blood taken at the doctors too instead of wasting my petrol driving here?

I was perched on a stool, the blood was taken and I was sent on my way.

On Friday night I receive an urgent call from the hospital. They have been giving me far too high a dose of the Clexane injections and I have to stop taking them immediately. I have to go back on Saturday to be weighed and collect a lower dose of the blood thinner.

When I arrive the new injections are already waiting for me, before I have even been weighed, so therefore no calculations have been done to ensure I now have the correct dose.

They've reduced the dose by 50mg and I'll have to go back again this week for it to be lowered again. When I get home and read through the dispensary note attached to the pharmacy bag I notice that I have been given the hospital copy as well as the patient copy. Presumably this means that there is no record on my file that my dose has been changed?

I'm just sick of the NHS getting everything wrong - from not giving me the drip to prevent my retained placenta to leaving me bleeding for an hour after I gave birth, then arguing about how much blood I'd lost when they were operating on me in theatre. Then there's the fact that I was never given any information on DVT, no exercises or recommendations and I was given knee length stockings when they should have been full length (the clot was at the back of my knee after all). The whole thing is just a catalogue of errors.

I'm told the DVT nurse will call me today to arrange a further appointment - I won't hold my breath.

I don't know whether to cry or to be really angry, but the whole thing is now starting to wear me down and I NEVER get like this. Has anyone else ever been through anything similar? I feel like making a complaint but I don't even know how you go about doing that.

Fingers crossed it all gets sorted out this week.

7 comments:

  1. Definitely complain. The hospital should have a website where details of the procedures are.
    I can't believe how badly you're being treated, but in some ways it's what we've come to expect from areas of the NHS. I do hope things start to get better both with and for your health and treatment.

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  2. you should, complain. not because it will get you anywhere but because how can things ever get better if you don't! the NHS is riddled with problems. from what i can tell they are all over stretched and no one want to take on any little extra tasks as they will be dumped with them for ever rather than being seen as them helping out!
    sorry, i'm no help or comfort! big hugs anyway as yu need some. and virtual chocolate too!

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  3. GourmetMummy (Susan)19 October, 2010

    I didn't want to read and run. You should definitley send a complaint-even if you just word it as "feedback" You hospital will have a PALS department and usually an email address. You could just literally cut and paste your blog.
    Sending ((hugs)) and hope you get the treatment you need

    xx

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  4. Yes you should complain! The way you have been treated is totally appalling, contact PALS department and let them know. Abolutely disgusting the way that you are shunted from pillar to post and inaccurate record keeping, etc. Sorry for ranting, I work for the NHS (I'm and A&E nurse part-time).
    Sending great big get well soon hugs, hope you are treated much better and gte better very soon. xx

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  5. you must complain this is shocking treatment for a new mum, like having a baby isn't stressful enough without all of this you are having to put up with!! big hugs xxx

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  6. That's terrible - your health is most important though so don't make yourself feel worse by worrying about it.
    Take care, T xx

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  7. You definitely need to complain hun thats awful treatment! If you have a PALS they are usually the first point of contact so definitely speak to them and find out what you can do! Wrong doseage's are dangerous! They need to be pulled up on it! Hope your ok, I know how angry and upsetting it is when the NHS let you down after they did with me :( x

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