What I liked
The attitude of the nurse treating me, it was kind and courteous
What could be improved
I was being treated for a mallet finger. In A&E they tried using an experiment on me (they said) and they tried to make a mould for my finger using dissolvable plastic balls, this was useless, I could see that it was unlikely to be no good so asked to be given tha traditionla splint to take home in case. By the time I reached home my finger had started bending so I threw the plastic mould away and replaced it with the splint and taped it up. This was neat and tidy to wear, comfotable and effctive at holding my finger straight.
I was telephoned two days later by the OT department at the same hospitla and asked to go in and have a proper specially make splint for my finger. i was seen by an OT and a student. They asked me a set of pointless questions, like who I lived with and was I managing at home alright. Clearly the same form is used if you have had a stroke or just had a minor injury like mine. No intelligence is used to assess the appropriateness, it is just a format to follow. They then made me two splints out of - yes you have guessed it - plastic, this time sheets of, moulded by melting with hot water. These were as cumbersome as the original, one is so small I can't even get it on, the other is loose and has cut ino the skin at the back of my finger.
I have now bought myself a ready made finger splint especiallydesigned for mallet finger, from the internet. It cost me £3. 36p What did it cost the NHS to have two OT's spend nearly an hour seeing me for an appointment and making me two uselss splints.? What a waste of NHS money.
I have had a mallet finger in the past and was treated at the John Radcliffe in Oxford, they just gave me a ready made off the shelf splint at the outset and it was brilliant. I can only think this DIY approach is supposed to be someones idea of a cut back but it is clearly far from that, it must have cost a fortune in terms of man hours compared to the price of buying some ready made splints and putting them on in A&E.
Anything else?
Please let me know that this example of waste of NHS resources will be looked into.
"NHS trying to save money and failing..."
Posted via nhs.uk
Do you have a similar story to tell?
Tell your story & make a difference ››
Responses
See more responses from Cirencester Hospital