"Poor Patient Care At Worcester Royal Hospital, Worcestershire "

I was admitted to the ward in the early hours in early June with terrible headaches and kept in for investigations. The doctor downstairs had given me a tramadol injection (which unfortunately didn't work). Then very shortly afterwards, I was told on the ward I would receive some morphine. It never came. As the night progressed into the next morning, the headaches continued and within a very short space of time, I was given Paracetamol, Codeine and Oromorph. Shortly afterwards my head started to settle a little but then I seemed to start shaking uncontrollably and couldn't stop myself.

I received no sympathy from the Doctor who had already stabbed my back repeatedly earlier on and did not seem able to do the lumbar puncture confidently/competently which caused me pain. The doctor kept just saying "Stop it. You'll hurt your head more." It felt as though it was my fault I was having this seizure. I struggled to communicate as my body was jarring so badly from the shaking. He just stood and watched my body thrashing violently around the bed uncontrollably just saying, "Come on, take some deep breaths. You'll hurt your head if you don't stop this " as though I was doing it deliberately when it wasn't.

I later discovered following my discharge that my GP ordered me to stop taking the codeine (which I had been repeatedly given on the ward) as I was sensitive to it and one of the side effects of codeine was indeed seizures. I was having seizures because of what I was given by them not because I was stressed as was documented in the notes. I was actually quite calm before it started and looking forward to going home later if given the all clear from a final test check. Surely doctors check the British National Formulary for side effects before apparently blaming the patients for suffering because of something they prescribed? Since I stopped the codeine, I've had no more seizures. I also found it shocking that in a discharge letter (from the Discharging Consultant) was written with completely the wrong age and it documented that I had a venflon removed when I never had one in the first place. It clearly stated my actual date of birth at the top of the letter. According to the Doctor I was 9 years younger than I actually am. I find it frightening to think his maths is so bad when he's giving out drugs when my age is nowhere near the figure in the discharge letter. He also documented past medical history of 'depression' which was news to me. I had been told I was given the medication to treat stress instead (which is not the same when I feel very sane and not remotely suicidal ).

The behaviour of the doctors I met in my opinion was unacceptable. However my small saving grace was that the ward Nursing Staff were very kind to me and helpful and I would like to extend my thanks to the Nurses for all their help and hard work. I felt dreadful when I went in and not much better when I left not just because of the Doctors I met but also the drilling and banging as they carried out renovations in the room next door all day. I couldn’t bear it any longer so I was glad to go home. The last thing you need when you have severe head pain and seizures is industrial tools pounding in the room next door as I'm sure you can understand. I was so relieved to be back home. Seeming to blame the patient for symptoms which are not their fault but caused by medication is in my opinion totally unacceptable. It was a very upsetting experience.