Hospitals and Incompetency
Discussion
This will be a long one folks, but it's nearly 2am and I'm in agony and need somewhere to vent/rant/discuss.
Last Sunday about 1400 I started to get some acute back pain near my shoulder blades. I tried a warm bath and an ice pack, but nothing shifted it. By the time the other half had come home I was rolling on the floor in agony, and about 1700 I'd had enough and called an ambulance. Ever noticed how they're really quick to attend unless you're in pain?!
Taken from Halstead to Colchester General, no pain relief in the bus as I have a naturally low heart rate so paramedics couldn't risk morphine. Got to hospital, even the ambulances were queuing and I had to wait 20 mins just to get assessed. To put the pain in context, it was like someone squeezing my spine with barbed wire, and even at 37 I was laying on the gurney in tears, sucking as much entenox as I could get (went through two cylinders in the end). Got assessed, poked my back looking for prolapsed disc near shoulder blades, nothing. When poking my front the doctor elicited a sharp bit of pain from under my RHS rib cage is not noticed, but my back was hurting so much that wasn't surprising. Didn't say anything of it.
10ml of morphine, 2mg of diazepam and a suppository of diclofenac later and everything seemed to settle down. Still uncomfy, but not in agony. Hospital gave me a bunch of co-codomol to take home but only one day of diazepam, as apparently that's their rules here. I was told to see my GP first thing Monday morning to get a week's supply.
Eventually get through to my GP, receptionist says that a phone conversation will do rather than an appointment. Not being keen to walk anywhere and happy to go with the system, I agree. Doc calls back about an hour later, nope can't do that on the phone, you'll have to come in. Right, okay. Receptionist calls back, no appointments until midday Tuesday so I'll be over 12 hours out if painkillers by then. Yay!
See my GP, never met her before and she was great, said it was stupid the hospital didn't give me more as she could see the pain I was in. Gave me a ton of diazepam, and some string things to replace the ibuprofen I was talking. Really helpful lady.
Then we fast forward to Friday morning, 0100.
I wake up in agony again, neck a diazepam out of sequence but I need something. Nothing. Take some co-codomol at 0300. Nothing. Leave it until 0400 as I didn't want to wake the missus and tue called the ambulance again. They decided to make me speak to a clinical supervisor first, so the ambulance was delayed by about 40mins. Once again, I'm laying in the floor crying my eyes out
This time I get morphine in the bus, but it's not really doing anything. 0530 and I'm being assessed, my cv more thorough than before, and again the doctor pokes my stomach. This time I nearly punch her in the face, so she goes to get an ultrasound machine & operator. The coolest guy ever comes back in with the machine (ignoring the obvious joke, he was really nice) and points out my gallbladder is inflamed and has 'sludge' under it. Stones or infection he says, time for an X-ray. Off I trot, X-ray done, saw a surgeon who had been on all night and looked exhausted, basically said they'll admit me and probably have to remove the GB. It's about 0800 at this point.
Now I'm transferred to a ward and it all falls apart. All I need is a simple ultrasound to confirm, but it's now done 0200 on Saturday and no-one has seen me. I'm NBM but still the nurses woke me to ask if I wanted food. The oral morphine isn't touching the pain, I asked at 1130 for something stronger but only got it at 0130 because there's only one doctor (still not seen him, I assume he looked at my notes and just prescribed there and then).
No-one is doing anything. I'm exhausted bu can't sleep because of the pain, I just want a simple scan to see where we go next. In a room with five other much older men: One guy KEEPS TALKING ON HIS PHONE, one guy in the corner is just chilling, one guy is at death's door and I feel dreadful for him, and two guys here are on forced air to help them breather. It sounds like Darth Vader being raped by helium balloon canisters. Not their fault, but there's two empty rooms on the ward so why not put them in there for the night?
Nurse turned my bedside light on and walked off, I can't reach it. Why didn't the doctor who found my GB pain on Sunday not follow it up? I found that weird at the time, but I'm no doctor so didn't say anything. Just lying here in acute pain (finally MTFU'd and stopped crying though
), just really stupid. If they couldn't find me space for an ultrasound all day Friday, what chance Saturday? I'm so fed up. If this had happened on Thursday I could've gone private as I have cover, but it's too late now.
And with all the co-codomol I've taken I've not had a sh*t in a week, and the laxative they came me has done nowt
Sorry folks, I'm just rambling. Just fed up of all this, it's just rubbish
Last Sunday about 1400 I started to get some acute back pain near my shoulder blades. I tried a warm bath and an ice pack, but nothing shifted it. By the time the other half had come home I was rolling on the floor in agony, and about 1700 I'd had enough and called an ambulance. Ever noticed how they're really quick to attend unless you're in pain?!
Taken from Halstead to Colchester General, no pain relief in the bus as I have a naturally low heart rate so paramedics couldn't risk morphine. Got to hospital, even the ambulances were queuing and I had to wait 20 mins just to get assessed. To put the pain in context, it was like someone squeezing my spine with barbed wire, and even at 37 I was laying on the gurney in tears, sucking as much entenox as I could get (went through two cylinders in the end). Got assessed, poked my back looking for prolapsed disc near shoulder blades, nothing. When poking my front the doctor elicited a sharp bit of pain from under my RHS rib cage is not noticed, but my back was hurting so much that wasn't surprising. Didn't say anything of it.
10ml of morphine, 2mg of diazepam and a suppository of diclofenac later and everything seemed to settle down. Still uncomfy, but not in agony. Hospital gave me a bunch of co-codomol to take home but only one day of diazepam, as apparently that's their rules here. I was told to see my GP first thing Monday morning to get a week's supply.
Eventually get through to my GP, receptionist says that a phone conversation will do rather than an appointment. Not being keen to walk anywhere and happy to go with the system, I agree. Doc calls back about an hour later, nope can't do that on the phone, you'll have to come in. Right, okay. Receptionist calls back, no appointments until midday Tuesday so I'll be over 12 hours out if painkillers by then. Yay!
See my GP, never met her before and she was great, said it was stupid the hospital didn't give me more as she could see the pain I was in. Gave me a ton of diazepam, and some string things to replace the ibuprofen I was talking. Really helpful lady.
Then we fast forward to Friday morning, 0100.
I wake up in agony again, neck a diazepam out of sequence but I need something. Nothing. Take some co-codomol at 0300. Nothing. Leave it until 0400 as I didn't want to wake the missus and tue called the ambulance again. They decided to make me speak to a clinical supervisor first, so the ambulance was delayed by about 40mins. Once again, I'm laying in the floor crying my eyes out
This time I get morphine in the bus, but it's not really doing anything. 0530 and I'm being assessed, my cv more thorough than before, and again the doctor pokes my stomach. This time I nearly punch her in the face, so she goes to get an ultrasound machine & operator. The coolest guy ever comes back in with the machine (ignoring the obvious joke, he was really nice) and points out my gallbladder is inflamed and has 'sludge' under it. Stones or infection he says, time for an X-ray. Off I trot, X-ray done, saw a surgeon who had been on all night and looked exhausted, basically said they'll admit me and probably have to remove the GB. It's about 0800 at this point.
Now I'm transferred to a ward and it all falls apart. All I need is a simple ultrasound to confirm, but it's now done 0200 on Saturday and no-one has seen me. I'm NBM but still the nurses woke me to ask if I wanted food. The oral morphine isn't touching the pain, I asked at 1130 for something stronger but only got it at 0130 because there's only one doctor (still not seen him, I assume he looked at my notes and just prescribed there and then).
No-one is doing anything. I'm exhausted bu can't sleep because of the pain, I just want a simple scan to see where we go next. In a room with five other much older men: One guy KEEPS TALKING ON HIS PHONE, one guy in the corner is just chilling, one guy is at death's door and I feel dreadful for him, and two guys here are on forced air to help them breather. It sounds like Darth Vader being raped by helium balloon canisters. Not their fault, but there's two empty rooms on the ward so why not put them in there for the night?
Nurse turned my bedside light on and walked off, I can't reach it. Why didn't the doctor who found my GB pain on Sunday not follow it up? I found that weird at the time, but I'm no doctor so didn't say anything. Just lying here in acute pain (finally MTFU'd and stopped crying though
), just really stupid. If they couldn't find me space for an ultrasound all day Friday, what chance Saturday? I'm so fed up. If this had happened on Thursday I could've gone private as I have cover, but it's too late now. And with all the co-codomol I've taken I've not had a sh*t in a week, and the laxative they came me has done nowt
Sorry folks, I'm just rambling. Just fed up of all this, it's just rubbish
Morning campers! Just found out I'll be here until Monday at least, morphine no longer touching the pain and it proper hurts to walk now. Doctor promised to come round this morning to update me, let's see when that's going to be shall we?!
At least one Darth Vader is on his way home today, might get a good night sleep tonight now. Might do.
At least one Darth Vader is on his way home today, might get a good night sleep tonight now. Might do.
Sorry to hear about the pretty s
tty care you've received, although it seems to becoming more common these days. My missus was in hospital is abdominal pain a while back. She was left in a room with no pain relief or care for over 4 hours before being taken onto a ward. She was then sent home with some pain killers despite them not knowing what was wrong with her.
tty care you've received, although it seems to becoming more common these days. My missus was in hospital is abdominal pain a while back. She was left in a room with no pain relief or care for over 4 hours before being taken onto a ward. She was then sent home with some pain killers despite them not knowing what was wrong with her. Thanks man, appreciate that. Really sorry to hear about your wife, that must've been awful for her
There's some nice friendly people here in terms of staff, but just a massive lack of communication between both staff and patients. And some just seem not to give a toss, and it's the elderly guys in here I feel really bad for.
There's some nice friendly people here in terms of staff, but just a massive lack of communication between both staff and patients. And some just seem not to give a toss, and it's the elderly guys in here I feel really bad for.
Ouch! That doesn't sound nice at all.
Last time I spent the night in an NHS ward, the very elderly but still, according to his daughter, fiercely independent gentleman in the bed opposite me had slipped and banged his head earlier in the day whilst going to M&S to get something for his lunch.
The poor guy was completely dazed and confused as a result, and was utterly convinced that the nurses were actually M&S shop staff who had kidnapped him! It's never great to have someone rambling and shouting in a confused matter, but at least when he's threatening to storm the next M&S board meeting to make his disgust known, it's somewhat more tolerable!
Last time I spent the night in an NHS ward, the very elderly but still, according to his daughter, fiercely independent gentleman in the bed opposite me had slipped and banged his head earlier in the day whilst going to M&S to get something for his lunch.
The poor guy was completely dazed and confused as a result, and was utterly convinced that the nurses were actually M&S shop staff who had kidnapped him! It's never great to have someone rambling and shouting in a confused matter, but at least when he's threatening to storm the next M&S board meeting to make his disgust known, it's somewhat more tolerable!
Don't blame you, it was a fair old wall of text!
Just had the second ultrasound, massive gallstone blocking the exit to the bladder. Def going to have to come out in a few months when it's settled, but will be here a few more days yet.
Asked the hot nurse how often I could have IV morphine, she started counting on her fingers and just walked off. Couldn't make it up if I tried. Consultant was helpful though.
The old guy dying across from me has a crap morning, he can barely see as he's near enough blind, had an African nurse who he couldn't understand because he's near enough deaf too, then when someone bought him prorridge for breakfast they didn't return to actually feed it to him for 20 mins by the time it was cold. He only wanted a bit of toast to go with it, I don't think he ever got that. That's no way to treat the elderly, seems like a genuinely nice chap too from the conversations we've had.
Just had the second ultrasound, massive gallstone blocking the exit to the bladder. Def going to have to come out in a few months when it's settled, but will be here a few more days yet.
Asked the hot nurse how often I could have IV morphine, she started counting on her fingers and just walked off. Couldn't make it up if I tried. Consultant was helpful though.
The old guy dying across from me has a crap morning, he can barely see as he's near enough blind, had an African nurse who he couldn't understand because he's near enough deaf too, then when someone bought him prorridge for breakfast they didn't return to actually feed it to him for 20 mins by the time it was cold. He only wanted a bit of toast to go with it, I don't think he ever got that.
That's no way to treat the elderly, seems like a genuinely nice chap too from the conversations we've had. Update, I eventually got my scan and there's a lovely big gallstone sat there ready to go. Now can I get it out before LM this year? I really hope so. Seeing the thing there hits home as I can see what it's actually like. Horrible thing. Can't wait to get out of here and go private on Monday.
Moving over today now, approval all been given, still in agony when the morphine machine broke down but otherwise im okay now. Seems like a vastly different team here at weekends, less actual doctors but people are getting seem to be working well as a team which is nice to see.
I still think my initial treatment was absolute garbage, but it's all good now and my fellow ward sharers are comfortable at least.
I still think my initial treatment was absolute garbage, but it's all good now and my fellow ward sharers are comfortable at least.
That sounds like no fun! Unfortunately given the size and complexity of the NHS it's a given there will be occasions when it goes wrong. Mine was last year when I was effectively laughed out of a crisis meeting by the mental health nurse. It took a private referral in my case to get a diagnosis of a mental illness.
It's good that you are still seeing elements of humour in all this, and in time that's probably what you'll remember the most (hopefully!) That and taking an epic dump no doubt when the meds finally wear off
My brother in law was in the hospice a couple of weeks ago and was told he couldn't get out of bed to go for a wee. He promptly summoned up some inner strength, got out of bed, made it to the sink, flopped his tackle out and took a mammoth piss in front of a horrified nurse! Brought some humour to an otherwise hideous situation. (random anecdote, but made me laugh)
I always find that looking for the humour in a crap situation helps and it seems you're doing just that (PH mindset I think).
Hope the situation improves for you!
It's good that you are still seeing elements of humour in all this, and in time that's probably what you'll remember the most (hopefully!) That and taking an epic dump no doubt when the meds finally wear off
My brother in law was in the hospice a couple of weeks ago and was told he couldn't get out of bed to go for a wee. He promptly summoned up some inner strength, got out of bed, made it to the sink, flopped his tackle out and took a mammoth piss in front of a horrified nurse! Brought some humour to an otherwise hideous situation. (random anecdote, but made me laugh)
I always find that looking for the humour in a crap situation helps and it seems you're doing just that (PH mindset I think).
Hope the situation improves for you!
Edited by Jonmx on Sunday 19th March 23:44
You have my sympathy fella .I have a stone that kicks off if I am careless with my diet .
When it kicks in its paramedic time and morphine time and a visit to A+E .
When it gets to a critical stage they will remove mine ,they are reluctant to give me anesthetic as I am classed as a risk because of having a stroke 8years ago .
Hope it goes well for you .
When it kicks in its paramedic time and morphine time and a visit to A+E .
When it gets to a critical stage they will remove mine ,they are reluctant to give me anesthetic as I am classed as a risk because of having a stroke 8years ago .
Hope it goes well for you .
Good luck, and I hope they sort it quickly. My Mrs had a similar experience a few years ago. She had a number of "mild" attacks and got a diagnosis. She was then lucky enough to get a date for surgery, however whilst waiting for the date she had a major gall stone attack. I've never seen anyone in as much pain as that (and I'd watched her give birth twice!). She lay on the bathroom floor screaming and vomiting. I called an ambulance who came within a few minutes and filled her full of morphine. She was out of it to the point of not knowing her name, but still writhing in agony even with the morphine.
In fairness to the NHS the treatment was excellent, she went in to a private hospital (funded by the NHS) for the OP, had her gall bladder out at ~10am and was sat up in bed at home by 8pm that night.
In fairness to the NHS the treatment was excellent, she went in to a private hospital (funded by the NHS) for the OP, had her gall bladder out at ~10am and was sat up in bed at home by 8pm that night.
0000 said:
Recently managed to get my wife and newborns out of hospital. Nearly walked out with them in the end. Some staff were doing a sterling job in difficult circumstances, but no one seems to take responsibility for fixing systematic issues.
Get well soon OP and then get out asap.
One thing I've found about the NHS is that they're exceptional at dealing with things they're used to dealing with, but can really struggle with departures from the norm.Get well soon OP and then get out asap.
When my wife was in hospital having had our second, I had to go and find a diabetic sister in another part of the hospital and drag her over to the maternity department to explain to the midwives that whilst they might know everything there was to know about treating a woman with gestational diabetes, a woman who'd been treating her own type one diabetes for the previous 25 years probably knew rather more about that form of diabetes than they did, and would they please take her off the insulin pump and let her go home and get on with her life...
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