Hospital Ward standard of care

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hello all, I am not sure which group to post this in so I am starting here.  My partner is in hospital recovering from a major operation last Friday.  The initial care was excellent, but since she has been in the ward she is in now, where she is expected to stay for at least 2 weeks probably more, I am starting to get concerned.

She is unable to get out of bed and move around yet and still in a lot of pain.  She is telling me that when she asks for water, they either don't bring it at all, or take hours to bring it.  She is also telling me that the nurses are not doing things that the doctor told them to do, like an extra blood test or an extra IV fluid bag, and that one nurse in particular seems to think that any request she makes is a nuisance and just says they are too busy and don't have time.  She doesn't want me to complain because she thinks that the nurses will then all have it in for her.  She is not normally a highly demanding person, but it seems to me that providing basic care like a jug of water shouldn't be too much to expect.  Any advice?

1 like, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Posted

    this iv found to be common in hospital today well to be honest since the late 1980s 

    i saw basic care denied my grandfather , leading shall we say to embarrising problem to occur. 

    i was left in pain after an op, my dad also was neglated at home by nurses who were suppose to be taking care of him in his last days , iv seen with my own eyes other things to

    . so please believe your wife, only this year a young boy called the police because he had a rare type of diabetus and was supposed to have water after an  op and the nurse ignored his pleas he later died . 

    i would make sure she has bottled water brought in by you . and know it should not be a problem for proper caring nursing staff . to see that she has the basic need of water .

    but when you have nursing staff training in hospital and saying when asked to fetch a sick bowl '' i dont do vomit iv been to university'' its very scary

    i was told this by a friend who is the old school type nurse. 

    . i dread having to go in to hospital simply because the care is not there like it should be.

    its getting like victorian times ,but then the staff did there best with what knowledge they had and most people died because they didint have the tecnolgy

    or the knowledge . not for the lack of basic care .

    keep an i on your wife and write everything down dates times and names . there should be a patceints support group but i am not what there called , they should also be informed .

    hope iv been of some help , 

     

  • Posted

    Hi Patrick,  I would let somebody know thats in charge the care for patients is very  important .  I would be checking and double checking on any lab tests etc. Im not sure what kind of surgery your talking about , but styaing in bed is not good moving around just little everyday very important., I hope you get  better care please let me know how things are going!

    Jackie 

  • Posted

    Hello Patrick, how appalling!

    If you are in England, I believe you need to contact PALS.  I live in Wales, where it doesn't exist.

    You could also talk to your GP if you have a good relationship there, or even make contact with the Consultant that your partner is under.

    As for water, when you next go in, if she hasn't got any, ask the nurse where you can get a jug for her and pester until you get it.  They say that it is the people who make the most noise, who get dealt with.  What are the nurses so busy doing?  Your partner is a patient, doesn't she warrant care too?

    Good luck Patrick.

     

  • Posted

    Complain quickly to the Hospital's Complaints' Department. If you don't, you'd never forgive yourself if something happened to her. Also try and get in touch with her consultant and complain to him/her as well. Make sure that you leave a paper/email trail. If things get really bad, threaten to complain to the health ombudsman. It sounds as though they just can't be bothered with really basic care.
  • Posted

    Hi Patrick,

    The NHS cutbacks have effected national health care in a big way over the past decade, one reason why don't like Cameron (but we won't go there!).

    I have spent numerous visits in hospital after operations, and I for one do not stand for their lack of care, or having to wait.

    One time, I was told in the morning that I could go home once my medication had been prescribed and sent up from their pharmacy. I even phoned my wife, to let her know, she knows what I am like in hospitals...

    By late afternoon, and several reminders from me, I still seen no prescriiption drugs. I waited - and our car was on a pay as you go meter, so you can imagine the amount that was clocking up!

    I gave them another 15 minutes or I'm signing myself out, and reporting this incident to the hospital along with the way they treated others on the ward. 15 minutes went by, still nothing - that was it I asked who was in charge of the ward and made it quite clear my intentions. At one point she went off really up set.

    Not, my problem, they said in the morning I was going home, 12 hours later and I was still there was not my fault.

    The NHS, is terrible, under-staffed, not enough doctors or  doctors that you have a job of understanding.

  • Posted

    BTW, you can report hospital incidents to your Doctor!

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