Recent poor hospital experience, voice my concerns or not?
Discussion
I'll try not to bore you with the detail so I'll keep this short.
Just under two weeks back I had an outpatients appointment during which I had quite a severe panic attack and due to some concern over my well being was admitted through A&E. I was then waiting for some piece of equipment to become available so that I could be monitored for 24 hours. As it transpired over the next few days there were only 5 of these devices in the hospital of which I was then told 3 were broken! Seemed like the other two devices were in constant use by patients with a greater need. Some 3 days after being admitted I'd had enough as nobody seemed to be able to commit to any sort of timescale as to when I might get the 24 hour monitor so after some discussions with the senior nurse I discharged myself. This wasn't a decision I took lightly, I made this clear at the time and also added words of my own to the discharge form voicing my concern.
In the meantime there are stories in the local press about this hospital's A&E department being completely overloaded at the time and that they were having to route emergencies to other hospitals. For the sake of one bit of equipment I could have been checked over and sent on my way without tying up a bed for longer than necessary for someone who really needed it.
I want to put something in writing about my experiences in the hopes that it may be able to help improve the service in future. I'm a bit concerned though about being labelled as that patient who complains about everything and could potentially negatively impact any future treatment that I may receive. But then if nobody ever said anything how will it get any better? Not sure what to do?
For the record I'm fine, my GP is aware of the situation and is going to get a 24hr monitor arranged for me and without the need for a hospital stay. I also ran a 10k event on Sunday in the crazy heat I'm still here
Frustrating really as up until the outpatients I was feeling really well and fitter than I've been in a long time!
Just under two weeks back I had an outpatients appointment during which I had quite a severe panic attack and due to some concern over my well being was admitted through A&E. I was then waiting for some piece of equipment to become available so that I could be monitored for 24 hours. As it transpired over the next few days there were only 5 of these devices in the hospital of which I was then told 3 were broken! Seemed like the other two devices were in constant use by patients with a greater need. Some 3 days after being admitted I'd had enough as nobody seemed to be able to commit to any sort of timescale as to when I might get the 24 hour monitor so after some discussions with the senior nurse I discharged myself. This wasn't a decision I took lightly, I made this clear at the time and also added words of my own to the discharge form voicing my concern.
In the meantime there are stories in the local press about this hospital's A&E department being completely overloaded at the time and that they were having to route emergencies to other hospitals. For the sake of one bit of equipment I could have been checked over and sent on my way without tying up a bed for longer than necessary for someone who really needed it.
I want to put something in writing about my experiences in the hopes that it may be able to help improve the service in future. I'm a bit concerned though about being labelled as that patient who complains about everything and could potentially negatively impact any future treatment that I may receive. But then if nobody ever said anything how will it get any better? Not sure what to do?
For the record I'm fine, my GP is aware of the situation and is going to get a 24hr monitor arranged for me and without the need for a hospital stay. I also ran a 10k event on Sunday in the crazy heat I'm still here
Frustrating really as up until the outpatients I was feeling really well and fitter than I've been in a long time!What piece of equipment are you talking about, a 24 hour ECG trace?
From what you've said, I don't think you should complain. If you concerned about your health you probably wouldn't have run a 10k in 30 degree heat so soon after and hospitals are generally pretty good at identifying 'sick' patients as opposed to ones who can be dealt with via the GP. I'm also not entirely sure your complaint is anything other than 'Please have more resources' which won't be news to them.
Out of interest, why didn't you go to the GO initially?
From what you've said, I don't think you should complain. If you concerned about your health you probably wouldn't have run a 10k in 30 degree heat so soon after and hospitals are generally pretty good at identifying 'sick' patients as opposed to ones who can be dealt with via the GP. I'm also not entirely sure your complaint is anything other than 'Please have more resources' which won't be news to them.
Out of interest, why didn't you go to the GO initially?
I think it's a 24 hour ECG they were after, kept referring to it as "telemetry".
Not sure you read my post properly either or it doesn't make sense? I was in the hospital for an outpatients appointment and they decided to admit me through A&E, not my choice. I'd far rather have seen my GP! Consultant didn't want to let me out until I'd had the trace as I guess they'd decided I was a risk but then again if I hadn't had the panic episode in the first place I'd be none the wiser.
If nobody complains about the lack of equipment (and it's state of disrepair) then will things ever get better? Or just accept the fact that the NHS is screwed?
Not sure you read my post properly either or it doesn't make sense? I was in the hospital for an outpatients appointment and they decided to admit me through A&E, not my choice. I'd far rather have seen my GP! Consultant didn't want to let me out until I'd had the trace as I guess they'd decided I was a risk but then again if I hadn't had the panic episode in the first place I'd be none the wiser.
If nobody complains about the lack of equipment (and it's state of disrepair) then will things ever get better? Or just accept the fact that the NHS is screwed?
My rule of thumb regarding complaints would be whether the issue was caused by the negligence or incompetence of the staff treating me given the resources they had in front of them.
If they had a room full of monitors on the other side of the hospital and no-one could be bothered to get one I'd complain, if they had monitors but no-one knew how to use it, I'd complain, if they had monitors, attached it to me incorrectly and got no usable data off my 24 hours in hospital I might complain.
As it was, I'm sure they did the best with what they had. I'm also sure that you were monitored periodically throughout your stay and at no point did you move up the priority list to require usage of one of the monitors, which is a good thing.
Hope everything's ok.
If they had a room full of monitors on the other side of the hospital and no-one could be bothered to get one I'd complain, if they had monitors but no-one knew how to use it, I'd complain, if they had monitors, attached it to me incorrectly and got no usable data off my 24 hours in hospital I might complain.
As it was, I'm sure they did the best with what they had. I'm also sure that you were monitored periodically throughout your stay and at no point did you move up the priority list to require usage of one of the monitors, which is a good thing.
Hope everything's ok.
You should complain. You've spent several nights in hospital, which costs a lot of money, waiting for a piece of equipment that should have been fixed, but likely wasn't in order to save money. It'd be unlikely that you were the only one affected. Raising complaints gets things sorted - they don't stick a label on your profile in order to make sure you get second grade treatment or anything like that.
Talk to the hospital Patient Advocacy Liaison Service (PALS) they will take you through the process (you will need to follow up the call with email to start a formal process). It is likely that the dept would welcome the feedback as probably been asking for more kit and your feedback may well help give evidence to support this.
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