Stafford Hospital - What a car crash

[Tumble weed]

If it really is as shit as everyone is making out and there are now plans to close it at the weekends due to ''staffing issues'', why not just close the damn thing altogether. It's reputation is totally in the gutter and is becoming more of a joke as time goes on.

Their argument is sending people to a hospital with inadequate staff could lead to lives being put at risk, but surely driving them to a hospital further away either in North Staffs or Wolvo isn't much better??

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/10/06/stafford-hospital-ae-may-shut-at-weekends/

Although last time my mate broke her wrist we got to the hospital at 2am and she wasn't seen till 8.55am! and this was in A&E too, infact no one really was seen.

 

[CreamCake]

This is the 21st century and we are in a first world country, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON ??

 

[grumpystaffordguy]

Doubt I'd want to go to Newcross instead - they had no pillows on the wards when I was admitted there!

North Staffs certainly seems the best bet around these parts.

My experience of Stafford hospital on several occasions has been that its poorly organised and short staffed. Its not that the people who work there dont care. I'm sure 90% of them do.

The only part of the hospital that I and several of my friends have been impressed with is the children's ward.

I'm sure Stafford hospital can be turned around. Its not great timing trying to fix it when budgets are being cut though.

 

[Withnail]

Our Dear Leader

was on the radio yesterday responding to this story; saying how it has become difficult to recruit staff to the Ford on account of its potential toxicity on the old CV for potential employees.

Fair point - imagine the scene today,

Interview Room: "So i see that you worked at Stafford A&E between 2005 and 2008..."

 

[gilbert grape]

As somebody with a long term condition who has also had parents in hospital for best part of 25 years on and off, I've seen both ends of the treatment scale under different management regimes and governments. By and large, the staff have nearly always been great under whatever pressure they've been under. Systems put in place by those who have run the place have been, at times, questionable to say the least and there's still examples I've witnessed recently.
Turning up at an Oncology clinic with your Father and being told whoever scheduled the appointments has booked each patient in for 5 minute slots as introduction appointments as there's a new doctor is really not the way to treat sick people after all the place has gone through!!
Dad was in during June and July and compared to a few years ago I didnt know wich nurses held any status and there seemed to be extra layers of qualifications on the ward. In days of old it was simple to know who to talk to, now its confusion on top of exisiting anxiety.
You go into Hospital to be cared for, not confused! Having said all that, I dont think closing the place is the right way forward. Theres process charts all over the wards telling people what to do! Put people in to do the job properly!

 

[shoes]

Chipped my elbow recently, went to A&E at SDGH, couldn't fault the service.

 

[United57]

I recently took somebody to the SDGH. They are 28 weeks pregnant and having a few twinges, actuall it was a bit more than that. Went to AE told we should go to maternity.

We then met the receptionist in maternity who said

1. we should always go staight to maternity. It saves time
2. where were the green docs. should always carry them with you..

Then shown a room where a group of excellent caring nurses took over.

The person who I took up there was a little bit concerned and to be " bollocked" by a receptionist is not what you want.

They could have done it a bit more tactfully especially in the situation.

This could happen anywhere and from the reports today a lot of hospitals are having issues.

 

[Gadget]

Just reporting after visiting a friend last night that the hospital dishwasher is broken. Lunch consists now of a sandwich of ham or cheese, no salad, brown or white. Dinner comes in polystyrene boxes with i presume only 2 choices (she said no choice but you can't give veggies meat pie) Her drinking water in the jug was the same given her at breakfast so was disgusting. I always have an issue with water on wards no matter what hospital, it is always stale and sometimes getting more is like asking for gold. The shower was also broken.
poor thing has an infection so could be there for a few more days yet.
G x

 

[Toble]

After the story the other day in one of the local papers (I think it was the one where they take a Wolverhampton paper and paste 2 Stafford stories in to it), the hospital can only get worse. Getting MOD doctors in to help A+E? I've seen M*A*S*H!

 

[wizzard]

After the story the other day in one of the local papers (I think it was the one where they take a Wolverhampton paper and paste 2 Stafford stories in to it), the hospital can only get worse. Getting MOD doctors in to help A+E? I've seen M*A*S*H!

Nothing new there, don't forget Selly Oak Hospital is a services rehabilitation hospital, hence civilian doctors working along side MOD doctors.

 

[scallywag]

My son is in there at the moment and is very ill. He was scheduled to go by ambulance to another hospital for an emergency procedure. I waited all day before ringing to see if all had gone to plan. A Nurse on the ward assured me that everything was fine and that he was back on the ward with no problems. When I txt him later he was surprised at the response from the Nurse as he had not been anywhere and was still waiting for treatment. No wonder there is no confidence in the place.

 

[Gramaisc]

After the story the other day in one of the local papers (I think it was the one where they take a Wolverhampton paper and paste 2 Stafford stories in to it), the hospital can only get worse. Getting MOD doctors in to help A+E? I've seen M*A*S*H!

I was treated by MOD quacks for my first fifteen years and have absolutely no complaints at all. I suspect that they might have had a bit of spare capacity, compared to civvy street types, and so had the time to do things properly, due to having to be ready for when the Russians came, of course.

One of my first memories is my blood dripping down from the head of the MO at Luqa as he was sewing my leg up.

 

[Mikinton]

After the story the other day in one of the local papers (I think it was the one where they take a Wolverhampton paper and paste 2 Stafford stories in to it), the hospital can only get worse. Getting MOD doctors in to help A+E? I've seen M*A*S*H!

 

[John Marwood]

My son is in there at the moment and is very ill. He was scheduled to go by ambulance to another hospital for an emergency procedure. I waited all day before ringing to see if all had gone to plan. A Nurse on the ward assured me that everything was fine and that he was back on the ward with no problems. When I txt him later he was surprised at the response from the Nurse as he had not been anywhere and was still waiting for treatment. No wonder there is no confidence in the place.

Words for once fail me, you have been placed in a terrible position and it would seem there is no one to help you

The Govt appears to welcome bad news in the NHS so it can justify its ongoing privatisation and the lining of Tory Party donor pockets

I hope you win the lotto and can then afford to move to somewhere within range of the QE

 

[gilesjuk]

They could always rebrand. South of Stoke Health Trust or something.

If ever there was an incentive to look after yourself and not have an accident it is the NHS in this country.

 

[speak65]

I was in Stafford hospital on Friday for an operation and apart from one member of staff who was rather lacking in people skills, I found the experience faultless.
Everywhere was clean, staff were caring and professional, and they performed the correct procedure!

My only other experience there in recent years was when I went in with my mother who has severe dementia after she had had a fall - again I couldnt have wished for better treatment.

I only wish everyone could have as good service as it sounds hit and miss still.

 

[scallywag]

I shared the news last week about my son who was supposed to be transferred to another hospital for treatment but never went despite the Nurse telling me all had gone ok and he was back on the ward. On Saturday, whilst I was with him, a Dr walked in and explained that they had decided to try a new treatment which was not available in the UK but was on its way here as we spoke. It would be commenced tomorrow and might last six weeks. As a bonus he was told that he could go home this morning for 24hrs to spend some time with his wife and baby. As you can imagine he was over the moon (it is now 14wks since this all started, most of it spent in there). His wife booked time off work and all was planned - however this morning a Consultant walked in and told him that none of that was true. He could not go home, and his treatment had not been located and it would certainly not be commenced tomorrow. I got home tonight to learn this from his message left on my answer machine, I sat down and I broke my heart. Please don't anyone tell me that my son is safe in there. I wish he was a little boy again and I could just carry him out and entrust him to people who would care.

 

[ExiledInStaffers]

I shared the news last week about my son who was supposed to be transferred to another hospital for treatment but never went despite the Nurse telling me all had gone ok and he was back on the ward. On Saturday, whilst I was with him, a Dr walked in and explained that they had decided to try a new treatment which was not available in the UK but was on its way here as we spoke. It would be commenced tomorrow and might last six weeks. As a bonus he was told that he could go home this morning for 24hrs to spend some time with his wife and baby. As you can imagine he was over the moon (it is now 14wks since this all started, most of it spent in there). His wife booked time off work and all was planned - however this morning a Consultant walked in and told him that none of that was true. He could not go home, and his treatment had not been located and it would certainly not be commenced tomorrow. I got home tonight to learn this from his message left on my answer machine, I sat down and I broke my heart. Please don't anyone tell me that my son is safe in there. I wish he was a little boy again and I could just carry him out and entrust him to people who would care.

Very unfortunate set of events. I think Stafford hospital is doing what it can to improve but obviously it needs to try that little bit harder.

From experience, I have been in worse NHS hospitals. I have also been in better ones though.

I hope everything is alright with you son.

 

[db]

i just got out of stafford hospital - had the pleasure of staying there for a couple of weeks thanks to my ulcerative colitis.. first time i've been admitted to hospital by ambulance!

i can't be bothered to fully recount my experience (soz - still in recovery mode) but i would summarise it thusly: i was very happy with my stay for the most part, and it strikes me that the problem is not the staff but the bureaucracy (i.e. everyone was as helpful as they could be, most were very knowledgeable, etc. but the only parts i felt were lacklustre were caused by poor organisation of resources)..

i'll be gutted if the hospital closes, though.. it's definitely not beyond redemption imo - nowhere near it, in fact..

 

[Wookie]

Crikey. :S Hoping for your swift recovery, DB.