"Poor Care"

Anything else?

Recently, I had to attend the Oral Surgery Department at the Royal Oldham Hospital. It is one of four hospitals managed by the same NHS trust (Pennine Acute Hospitals). When my procedure was arranged (at a different hospital in the same trust) I was asked where I wanted the procedure performed. I listed the Royal Oldham Hospital as my fourth choice. Lo and behold I was sent an appointment for the procedure at the Royal Oldham Hospital. It would have been nice to have been given an explanation why I had to go there. My appointment letter said my appointment was at 1.15 pm. I do not know why because the department was not even open at that time. No staff came until 1.40 pm and I was not called in until 2 pm. I do not understand why I was sent an appointment they had no intention of keeping. At 2 pm I was taken into an office, which I thought was a strange place for minor oral surgery. But, I had not been called in for my procedure. The nurse had called me into her office to tell me I had to take an antibiotic and then wait an hour before the procedure could commence. I was, understandably, nervous. When the nurse called out my name I got myself psyched up for the procedure. Instead, I found out I still had another hour to wait. Why did the appointment letter not explain this? Alternatively, a leaflet could have been enclosed with the letter. Because I have Addison’s disease I need to take steroid tablets for life. The nurse asked me if I had taken a double dose. I had not because no one had told me to take one. Apparently, I should have doubled up all three doses on that day. The nurse told me I would be alright without the double dose. During the procedure I collapsed because my body was short of steroid. I then had to receive emergency treatment. Because of their negligence I could have been very ill. My concerns about this occasion are: 1. Why did they not give a reason for the procedure being carried out at my fourth choice hospital? 2. Why was I not given an appointment at a time the department was actually open and staffed? 3. Why could they have not told me there would be a delay due to having to take the antibiotic? 4. Most importantly, why did no one tell me that I should have doubled up my steroids? This Trust claims “to provide the very best care for each patient on every occasion”. Very best care – mine certainly was not the best care Each patient – why did I not receive the best care Every occasion – never as far as my experience goes I expect it happens across the NHS, but this trust does everything for its convenience and treats patients like cattle at a cattle market rather than with the dignity to which every human being is entitled.