"Bad experiences in Tameside Hospital"

This story has been posted by Healthwatch Tameside on behalf of a member of the public. We have their details and will forward any comments to them. They said…

This lady has been an inpatient of Tameside Hospital twice in the past two months, and she was unhappy both times.

1) The lady was on ward 31 in January, in a room of 4 beds. Two of the other patients in the room were vomiting violently. She said cleaners on the ward were not efficient. She felt sorry for the nurses and said there were not enough of them. They were run ragged a lot of the time.

2) The second visit was in the last week. She was admitted to Tameside Hospital again and said:

“Much to my regret! ! I was on MAU ward supposedly for 24 hours to be transferred to the CCU, but was there for 2 days. This ward was even more disgraceful. I thought my previous visit there was bad but this was absolutely horrendous.

I was kept there with patients who either had dementia or contagious diseases. This left me extremely ill. The toilets had trodden in poo on the bathroom floor - the floor was not clean at all. Also the MAU ward was an absolute disgrace - dirty ward floor.

The nurses in light blue (were they really nurses? ) seemed to be making decisions about patients - I for one was nothing like the other patients on that ward, I am a very clean, educated person. I had been admitted with a pain that could have been a heart problem but was not the case. The pain was brought on by stress in the home.

My blood pressure was perfect my bloods were fine and I wish I hadn't been so stupid as to call for an ambulance, it will never happen again. The nurses I saw disappeared and covered for each other. They spent a lot of time talking about their home affairs and did not take time to listen to patients when spoken to. They were ignorant, and just gave out tablets.

A doctor, who looked very nice, sat next to me and said ‘You called us, we didn’t call you. ’ I hadn’t said a word and I didn’t reply. Then he went. The other patients that I was subjected to, they couldn't help it but they had contagious disease I. e. severe chest infections and gastroenteritis, and I forget the name but the more contagious chest diseases and I was subjected to all of this. I requested that I left the hospital and was told "no I could not".

Of course I had palpitations and they were getting worse from being on that ward. They were speaking to me as they did people who were what I call lahlah (through no fault of their own) but being educated and knowing I should not be there and all my tests were just fine really got my back up. It was complete disorder in there.

I’ve now got an infection, and am waiting for a home visit from my GP.

They should close this hospital it is a disgrace and I am so sorry to have to complain but I have to think of other patients who need professional help. '