My poor Dad...

[Tom8]

The NHS is utterly shambolic. It is disjointed, uncoordinated and in some respects dangerous. My mum has been treated since June last year and had numerous miss diagnoses and now she is dying. She has had some really poor care, some great care and she has been subjected to endless messing around and failure as have we in trying to offer care and support.

We will be making a formal complaint with records of the entire episode. I feel sorry for those with no one to take on the system or help them as we have had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way which surely should never be the case.

For the mega billions spent on it, it really isn't worth it.

[super7]

Tom8 said:

The NHS is utterly shambolic. It is disjointed, uncoordinated and in some respects dangerous. My mum has been treated since June last year and had numerous miss diagnoses and now she is dying. She has had some really poor care, some great care and she has been subjected to endless messing around and failure as have we in trying to offer care and support.

We will be making a formal complaint with records of the entire episode. I feel sorry for those with no one to take on the system or help them as we have had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way which surely should never be the case.

For the mega billions spent on it, it really isn't worth it.

You won’t be saying that when YOU need it……

[Tom8]

super7 said:

Tom8 said:

The NHS is utterly shambolic. It is disjointed, uncoordinated and in some respects dangerous. My mum has been treated since June last year and had numerous miss diagnoses and now she is dying. She has had some really poor care, some great care and she has been subjected to endless messing around and failure as have we in trying to offer care and support.

We will be making a formal complaint with records of the entire episode. I feel sorry for those with no one to take on the system or help them as we have had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way which surely should never be the case.

For the mega billions spent on it, it really isn't worth it.

You won’t be saying that when YOU need it……

Having seen it in action, I would happily take my chances. They would probably improve.

[BUG4LIFE]

super7 said:

Tom8 said:

The NHS is utterly shambolic. It is disjointed, uncoordinated and in some respects dangerous. My mum has been treated since June last year and had numerous miss diagnoses and now she is dying. She has had some really poor care, some great care and she has been subjected to endless messing around and failure as have we in trying to offer care and support.

We will be making a formal complaint with records of the entire episode. I feel sorry for those with no one to take on the system or help them as we have had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way which surely should never be the case.

For the mega billions spent on it, it really isn't worth it.

You won’t be saying that when YOU need it……

I don't really appreciate that kind of comment on my thread about my dying Father, trying to belittle Tom8's terrible experience with the NHS. I'm sure if Tom was in need of NHS care himself and it was not up to scratch, he WOULD be saying exactly the same.

My family and I have been unhappy with many aspects of my Dad's care. It's the little things, but little things matter. As he was wasn't sufficiently moved around early in his second spell at hospital, he has developed a very bad sore on his lower back. The skin doc essentially blamed the nurses as sores can be avoided. He now has to spend all day on his side, which in turn is causing problems with his ankles and feet. It's noted that he must be turned every two hours during the day and four hours at night...do the nurses follow this important instruction, do they f**k! We have to mention it time and time again. Being busy is not an excuse. Situations like this have happened time and time again during my Dad's four months in hospital.

Unfortunately he has continued to decline and will be moved to a nursing home in the near future for end of life care. Seeing him decline as he has is heartbreaking. My 6'3" ex-rugby playing Dad is now well under 10 stone, has next to no movement in his limbs, won't eat and barely knows who we are. Just utter sh*t.

[super7]

BUG4LIFE said:

super7 said:

Tom8 said:

The NHS is utterly shambolic. It is disjointed, uncoordinated and in some respects dangerous. My mum has been treated since June last year and had numerous miss diagnoses and now she is dying. She has had some really poor care, some great care and she has been subjected to endless messing around and failure as have we in trying to offer care and support.

We will be making a formal complaint with records of the entire episode. I feel sorry for those with no one to take on the system or help them as we have had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way which surely should never be the case.

For the mega billions spent on it, it really isn't worth it.

You won’t be saying that when YOU need it……

I don't really appreciate that kind of comment on my thread about my dying Father, trying to belittle Tom8's terrible experience with the NHS. I'm sure if Tom was in need of NHS care himself and it was not up to scratch, he WOULD be saying exactly the same.

My family and I have been unhappy with many aspects of my Dad's care. It's the little things, but little things matter. As he was wasn't sufficiently moved around early in his second spell at hospital, he has developed a very bad sore on his lower back. The skin doc essentially blamed the nurses as sores can be avoided. He now has to spend all day on his side, which in turn is causing problems with his ankles and feet. It's noted that he must be turned every two hours during the day and four hours at night...do the nurses follow this important instruction, do they f**k! We have to mention it time and time again. Being busy is not an excuse. Situations like this have happened time and time again during my Dad's four months in hospital.

Unfortunately he has continued to decline and will be moved to a nursing home in the near future for end of life care. Seeing him decline as he has is heartbreaking. My 6'3" ex-rugby playing Dad is now well under 10 stone, has next to no movement in his limbs, won't eat and barely knows who we are. Just utter sh*t.

Well our experience of the NHS is fantastic. Where else in the world do you get free-at-point-of care medical help?

In the last year,

My father-in-law has been looked after and treated for 1) Aortic Valve replacement 2) Lung Cancer - removal of part of the lung 3) SVT - multiple times requiring stays in hospital 4) Diabetes and related Kidney failures

My mother-in-law has been looked after for Parkinsons and Dementia

My Wife has just had Deep Brain Stimulation, requiring brain surgery and an associated power pack.

My Mum has just had Heart Failure diagnosed

Our Kids have both had babies

On each occasion, the NHS Doctors, Nurses and other staff have been exceptional in the care they have provided. My FIL specifically has had a lot of issues requiring a lot of time and effort provided by the staff. Their attention to detail and support is amazing. In all fairness they have made someone who should have died ages ago, stay alive, making a rod for their own back in all the future care.

I personally think some people have an unrealistic view of what they should expect and are entitled to. When it comes down to it, we all need to help our relatives and get involved and help out. If people aren't prepared to do that then they should go private and pay for that level of care or accept what the NHS offer. My wife is now a full time carer for her parents. She works her back-side off ensuring they take their pills, get to appointments, liase with NHS staff and spends almost all day with them when they are in for hospital stays. She made sure they were moved about etc etc.

When they pull out all the stops to save your life, you might be a bit more appreciative of them, because they won't judge you on the fact that you posted how absolutely useless they are. LIke all social media though, those with a grievance are always more vocal than those who are happy. The unhappy always give a bad impression of something which is actually quite good.

[BUG4LIFE]

There you go again mate, belittling bad experiences. Please do not post on my thread again. All because you've been happy with the care you and your family have received, doesn't mean others don't have a right to complain. I fully appreciate the effort that has gone into trying to save my Dads life and we have dealt with lots of very caring docs and nurses...but that doesn't mean we can or should ignore the frustratingly bad situations. As I said, I don't want you to make any further comments on MY thread. If you want to post about how great the HNS has been for you, please start a new thread. Thank you.

[Terminator X]

^^ My experience pretty much exactly matches the OP, NHS great at saving lives just not great at after care. Your comments on how well you've done don't seem that helpful on this thread?

TX.

Edit - aimed at super7

[Tom8]

BUG4LIFE said:

super7 said:

Tom8 said:

The NHS is utterly shambolic. It is disjointed, uncoordinated and in some respects dangerous. My mum has been treated since June last year and had numerous miss diagnoses and now she is dying. She has had some really poor care, some great care and she has been subjected to endless messing around and failure as have we in trying to offer care and support.

We will be making a formal complaint with records of the entire episode. I feel sorry for those with no one to take on the system or help them as we have had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way which surely should never be the case.

For the mega billions spent on it, it really isn't worth it.

You won’t be saying that when YOU need it……

I don't really appreciate that kind of comment on my thread about my dying Father, trying to belittle Tom8's terrible experience with the NHS. I'm sure if Tom was in need of NHS care himself and it was not up to scratch, he WOULD be saying exactly the same.

My family and I have been unhappy with many aspects of my Dad's care. It's the little things, but little things matter. As he was wasn't sufficiently moved around early in his second spell at hospital, he has developed a very bad sore on his lower back. The skin doc essentially blamed the nurses as sores can be avoided. He now has to spend all day on his side, which in turn is causing problems with his ankles and feet. It's noted that he must be turned every two hours during the day and four hours at night...do the nurses follow this important instruction, do they f**k! We have to mention it time and time again. Being busy is not an excuse. Situations like this have happened time and time again during my Dad's four months in hospital.

Unfortunately he has continued to decline and will be moved to a nursing home in the near future for end of life care. Seeing him decline as he has is heartbreaking. My 6'3" ex-rugby playing Dad is now well under 10 stone, has next to no movement in his limbs, won't eat and barely knows who we are. Just utter sh*t.

It is shattering in so many ways. Your experience sounds the same as ours. District nurses, despite repeated requests would not come and visit and then hey presto mum has sores and all the difficulties and challenges they pose. Illness I can accept, but shoddy process and treatment I cannot. Luckily my mum's GP has been quite epic in his efforts to help. He is ashamed of the failings of his employer and is doing absolutely anything he can to help make mum's end of life care better. I will be commending him to his employers and a large gift will also be heading his way. Good luck with your dad, I am very much with you.

[BUG4LIFE]

To kind of wrap up this thread...my Dad passed away on Sunday morning, with my Mum by his side. It could have happened any time during the week, so Mum, my brother, our wife's and I spent most of last week at the hospital [Mum slept there for five nights].

I started this thread as I was unhappy with the care Dad was receiving, to help him get back on his feet. None of this really contributed to his decline and eventual death. Dad unfortunately had seizures they couldn't really stop, on top on Parkinson's which became massively worse and dialysis knocking him for six [the crazy thing about the dialysis is that it stripped out the seizures meds with each session, making it impossible to control].

I don't doubt the docs did all they could with try to save Dad's life, even if the bits in-between were questionable. I do want to say how happy we were with the palliative care he received. They made him comfortable and pain free. He was unconscious/unresponsive for the last 4/5 days but get to the call from Mum to say he had stopped breathing was obviously tough. 74 is no age. Just over a year ago, he was in great shape, controlling his Parkinson's amazingly well, and then he had the year from hell

Thank you all.

[andyA700]

Very sorry to hear that, my condolences to you.

[d_a_n1979]

BUG4LIFE said:

To kind of wrap up this thread...my Dad passed away on Sunday morning, with my Mum by his side. It could have happened any time during the week, so Mum, my brother, our wife's and I spent most of last week at the hospital [Mum slept there for five nights].

I started this thread as I was unhappy with the care Dad was receiving, to help him get back on his feet. None of this really contributed to his decline and eventual death. Dad unfortunately had seizures they couldn't really stop, on top on Parkinson's which became massively worse and dialysis knocking him for six [the crazy thing about the dialysis is that it stripped out the seizures meds with each session, making it impossible to control].

I don't doubt the docs did all they could with try to save Dad's life, even if the bits in-between were questionable. I do want to say how happy we were with the palliative care he received. They made him comfortable and pain free. He was unconscious/unresponsive for the last 4/5 days but get to the call from Mum to say he had stopped breathing was obviously tough. 74 is no age. Just over a year ago, he was in great shape, controlling his Parkinson's amazingly well, and then he had the year from hell

Thank you all.

I'm sorry to be reading this My heart-felt condolences

[Fermit]

Condolences on your loss B4L. Speaking as someone who's father also has Parkinsons, I can only hope the same sudden decline doesn't hit him in due course.

[alscar]

Very sorry to hear that , my condolences to you and your family.
My Father also died at 74 - way too young.

[BUG4LIFE]

Fermit said:

Condolences on your loss B4L. Speaking as someone who's father also has Parkinsons, I can only hope the same sudden decline doesn't hit him in due course.

Thank you for your kind messages guys.

Fermit; my Dad's Parkinson's only became dramatically worse due to the impact of his other illnesses and spending months bed-ridden in hospital [part of the reason I was unhappy with the lack of physical care back at the beginning of the year]. Before all of this, he managed his Parkinson's very well. In the eight year since his diagnosis, it only progressed very slowly. He made sure to keep active, playing walking football three times a week as well as using an exercise bike at home. I'm sure looking after his grandkids helped too Fingers crossed your father has the same slow progression.