N H S a cock up.

fireman · 03-09-2005, 20:22

ON the whole I find the NHS in genera lto be a wonderful thing. I have to thank Wythenshaw Heart Unit for my life, and believe me I am very grateful and pledge an amount of money to them on a regular basis. BUT, when you hear stories like that from our moderator MICK then the NHS lays itself wide open for critisism. Mick had an appiontment for a pre op angiogramme at the end of August, with hopes of a bypass operation in maybe September. During the very nervous trip to the hospital , someone had not read Micks notes and he had not been schedules for the test. Therefore no bypass, 6 months now to wait for the angiogramme, all that worry again, precisely what a man with a heart condition does not need.
The lovely 15 year old girl in the observer this week who was found dead by her mum at the top of the stairs at home after 2 visits to the hospital where the doctors couldn't find anything wrong with her. Did they try hard enough, I ask or did they just not treat her as seriously as they should of done. Sometimes these young Housemen on A &E are just a little complacent. Years ago my GP was treating me for a throat infection which got so bad I collapsed and found that my throat was fine but I was given 24 hours unless I had heart surgery , THANKS DOC......
I could go on all day listing NHS cock ups,,, and successes too but unfortunately the cock ups affect people in a very bad way and attract the publicity.
Pull your fingers out you doctors we are people you know with loved ones ourselves just like you are.
Write a letter Mick to the hospital trust and complain and lets hope you are soon given the tests you need and deserve and indeed the surgery you need and deserve and sooner rather than later. GOOD LUCK PAL FROM ME PERSONALLY AND I'M SURE FROM ALL ON ACCY WEB...

grannyclaret · 03-09-2005, 21:35

i'll second that

cashman · 03-09-2005, 21:41

here here, best of luck mick.

grego · 03-09-2005, 21:53

Although I know you're right Fireman I find it hard to agree with you, the staff be it Dr's nurses etc really do give it 100%, everyone working in todays NHS are under extreme pressure mainly through shortness of staff due to funding issues. I was very sad to read the story of the 15 year old girl, and I am very intersted to know the outcome of her post mortem, though I know that will be of no relief to her family.
There are no excuses though for mistakes but unfortunately they do happen sometimes with no consequences but sometimes tragic.
I really hope Mick gets his op sooner rather than later, I wouldn't have though he'd have to wait so long for an angiogram, I know my Mums appointment was quicker than that, weeks as opposed to months, anyway good luck Mick.

fireman · 03-09-2005, 22:05

Grego I understand what you are saying and your sentiments however misguided they may be. I do agree to a certain extent I totally understand the pressures of NHS staff my wife being a retired senior sister, I also understand the understaffing problem, but this is the fault of the NHS Trusts who choose to freeze posts in order to save on the wages bill. Also I can assure you that whilst most of the staff, be they doctors or nurses do give their all, they are let down by the ones who certainly don't. I have witnessed doctors who could not do thr job without a senior nurse to guide them and that is not what they are paid for.

grego · 03-09-2005, 22:20

Thats fair enough Fireman, I just wanted to speak out for those of us, myself included who give 100%, I cant speak for the junior doctors, who perhaps shouldn't be left to their own devices, some are great, some aren't, I suppose same would go for other staff as well regardless of job.
Its very hard sometimes because nobody talks about the good you do, but as soon as something goes wrong its very publicly reported.

Neil · 03-09-2005, 22:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by grego

....the staff be it Dr's nurses etc really do give it 100%....

That was not my experiance of BRI. They forgot to book me in for my pre op assessment so I went into surgery without them even knowing my blood type.

My wifes stay in hospital with our first child was a catalogue of errors by staff that were nothing short of negligent.

fireman · 03-09-2005, 22:26

I understand that totally Grego and as I said in my initial thread I owe the NHS my life and thousands of others do too and in the main it is the best, but some people who work in it let it down and that is bad. I AM NOT KNOCKING THE NHS BUT I AM KNOCKING THE ONES WHO CHOOSE TO BE COMPLACENT ABOUT THE JOB THEY DO AND CAUSE PEOPLE LIKE MICK AND THE YOUNG GIRL IN THE OBSERVER TO BE LET DOWN WHEN IN RETROSPECT THINGS LIKE THIS COULD BE AVOIDED.

fireman · 03-09-2005, 22:28

And that Neil is my gripe, not the good things that go on every day but the experiences like yours and your wifes that happen too often and can be avioded with care,.

grego · 03-09-2005, 22:34

Theres no excuse for that Neil as your pre op assessment shouldv'e taken place well before your op.
I had a good experience when I went in to have Ellie, so I cant really comment, I do know though that my feelings would be different if I'd had a bad experience.

cashman · 03-09-2005, 23:12

all i can add is i have had 5 operations in the last 15 years or so,and the care and staff have been first rate, but also i was treated for 18 months with an incorrect diagnosis,and was on that many differant pills i was like a zombie, now its correctly diagnosed (was me that sussed it) i am on 1 type of pill and my complaint is well manageble.

Neil · 04-09-2005, 00:18

WOW 18 months is a long time

Acrylic-bob · 04-09-2005, 06:34

Best wishes to Mick. Being in a similar position with my own heart I know how distressing this can be.

The only thing that I can suggest is that you complain - LOUD AND AT LENGTH ! Make your complaint in writing to your GP, your Consultant, your MP, your MEP, the local area Health Authority, the Minister for Health, and Old Uncle Tom Cobbley and All, Threaten them with Solicitors, severally and individually. In short make yourself a pain in the arse till they give you what you need. Don't worry about them giving you substandard treatment, once they see that you are prepared to stand up for yourself they won't dare!

My best mates mother is 72, she has been in agony for the last three years with what she was told was a prolapsed bladder - or bladder infection - or Hypochondria - depending on who she saw. Eventually it was getting too much for her to cope with, she was getting up to go to the loo twenty odd times a night! So she paid for a private examination (£1,000). And it turns out that she did have a prolapse, but not of the bladder, it was her bowel. The examination also showed that she had Bladder Cancer.

But even after it was proved that she had been misdiagnosed, and nearly killed by negligence, the incompetence did not stop there. The solution to her problem she was told would be to have the lot, bladder, bowel, womb and ovaries ripped out and she would have to live with bags for the rest of her life. If you knew the lady concerned you would know just how unthinkable that was. So, she had to fight tooth and nail to keep her organs where they were. After six horrible months, a botched operation and equally botched BCG treatment, the consultant treating her arrogantly pronounced himself surprised that she had survived. But she has, and she has survived with all her bits intact because she would not meekly accept what they said. She will now be monitored twice a year against a return of the cancer and in another couple of months she will have her bowel prolapse fixed and she will be as right as rain!

We all work with people who are useless in their jobs, who are there just get a wage, why should the situation be any different with Nurses, GP's and Consultants?

Stuff deference! COMPLAIN and SURVIVE!! Good luck mate.

Oh and avoid Blackburn Royal Infirmary like the plague!

Debbie J · 04-09-2005, 08:35

My son who was born 3 months prem & was 8 weeks old at the time, therefore before his due date was very sleepy, floppy in my arms didn't want a feed & had a temperature. I took him to The Vic where I was told there was nothing wrong with him. I argued with the G.P who was on duty at the time that I knew my son & there was definately something wrong. He said the only thing he could do was admit him to which I agreed. My friend drove us to Park Lee (where I had been told to go) only to be told they didn't know anything about us & we would have to go to Queens Park! We got to Queens Park where my son was examined & diagnosed with meningitis. If I hadnt argued my son probably wouldn't be here today. The G.P in question said he just thought I was an over anxious mum and there was no rash!

Neil · 04-09-2005, 09:05

On the plus side my sister was diagnosed with suspected meningitis by her local GP who came out to our house, she was 21 at the time. He gave her an antibiotic injection he had with him and sent her to BRI where she was in intensive care while she recovered. She was told at the hospital that GP saved her life becasue he had the antibiotic with him and she would probably not survived without it. The antibiotic had a shelf life of about 6 months and he had been throwing unused ones away for 20 years. He carried it just incase he ever needed it. After 20 years he finally used one, thankfully.