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I was glad to get my mother out of there.

Story from nhs.uk

"I was glad to get my mother out of there."

About: Freeman Hospital

What could be improved

My mother ,aged 84, spent 8 days on ward 30 during which time she had major heart surgery. In the whole 8 days she was there not once did anyone come see me or my brother to discuss her care and despite giving her new doctors details twice her discharge papers went to the wrong surgery. She developed a UTI after surgery and asked on a few occassions for incontinence pads but got none so I went out and bought some. She was given a laxative and asked for a commode because the ward had one toilet and it was in use but was told there was none and ended up dirtying herself, a thing which is troubling her still.Some of the nurses were brusque with her and I witnessed them talking to her as if she were senile which she is far from.On release they gave her a lot of painkillers including codeine but no laxatives and as a result became painfully constipated. Unfortunately we could not get an appointment with the GP because the discharge papers had not gone to them so there was a bad delay in her care. It was as if they could not get rid of her quick enough.In the next bed to her was a young girl who was just as sick as any of the other patients there but was treat like royalty. I opted to have mams surgery there because of the good things I had heard but I am disappointed with her care there and the total lack of information for us to give her after care.

Anything else?

The food was poor and because of being intubated my mam had a sore throat yet was given a dry sandwich for her dinner.

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Responses

Response from Freeman Hospital 11 years ago
Freeman Hospital

Submitted on 01/11/2012 at 08:16
Published on nhs.uk on 02/11/2012 at 07:38

Thank you for taking the time to post your comments about your mother’s recent stay on Ward 30 at the Freeman Hospital. As a Trust we aspire to deliver the highest standard of care and communication at all times and it is very disappointing to hear that you feel we failed to reach this standard during your mother’s stay. As such, we apologise for the shortcomings in care that you have identified in your comment and acknowledge that this was distressing for your mother and yourself.

The Sister on Ward 30 has been informed of your comments and is also very disappointed that this was your experience. The Sister and indeed, the hospital trust expect all staff to treat patients with respect and be responsive to their needs at all times and we are very sorry that your mother’s needs were not met in a timely manner. We would like to further apologise for the lack of communication with yourself or your brother and for the error in sending the discharge summary to the incorrect GP rather than the one requested. Matron and Sister will ensure that all of the concerns that you have raised are discussed with the ward staff to ensure that staff meet the needs of patients, ensure communication is dealt with appropriately and that families feel involved with patient care and prepared for discharge.

We are very keen to explore your specific concerns and experience in more detail to enable us to investigate how these shortcomings you identify occurred, and to give you the opportunity to discuss your experiences with us directly. It would therefore be very useful if you or your mother would contact Matron Angie Johnson or the Patient Relations Manager, Mr Anderson on 0191 233 6161, and we will look into your mother’s case in more detail.

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