Stafford Hospital - What a car crash

[gilbert grape]

Another visit today and come away feeling more tired than when we got there!
Appears that appointments were booked in for the same time slots so eg. my Dad shared the same appointment time as somebody else.....etc etc. This meaning we went in to see the Doc 90 minutes late. Last time we were over two hours late and were offered the chance to report our experience to the Patient Opinion site. I did that last time and since then have been invited to provide feedback on our further experience and opinions.
Seeing as I am now attending the Diabetic Clinic which is now based at Greyfriars I see a massive contrast between the two. On my first visit I was greetd by my Doctor who was going back in after a smoking break and walked straight into his room. All done in half an hour or so.........surely if you can do it externally you can do it internally where all treatment, staff etc is to hand?

 

[basil]

Another visit today and come away feeling more tired than when we got there!
Appears that appointments were booked in for the same time slots so eg. my Dad shared the same appointment time as somebody else.....etc etc. This meaning we went in to see the Doc 90 minutes late. Last time we were over two hours late and were offered the chance to report our experience to the Patient Opinion site. I did that last time and since then have been invited to provide feedback on our further experience and opinions.
Seeing as I am now attending the Diabetic Clinic which is now based at Greyfriars I see a massive contrast between the two. On my first visit I was greetd by my Doctor who was going back in after a smoking break and walked straight into his room. All done in half an hour or so.........surely if you can do it externally you can do it internally where all treatment, staff etc is to hand?

That's interesting as i accompany a relative with diabetes on their periodic visit to SDGH they always plump for the latest possible appointment to avoid sitting in corridor and watching the staff avoid eye contact for hours on end. Yet even having the 16:30 slot can end up in a wait exceeding 90mins.......

 

[gilbert grape]

As most of us support the Hospital and want to keep it open all hours the place really needs to sort its act out if it wants to keep people on-side!
The way some patients are still being dealt with is shoddy and needs top be sorted from the top. I wasted 2 hours with my sick Dad a few weeks ago as appointments were double booked and you feel like you're in a sausage machine rather than a valued patient. Had a chat with my Brother earlier who has a fractured collar bone. He'd been given an appointment with a Knee & Hip specialist and got turned away with "Sorry, I can't help you, you'll have to wait for another appointment!"
I make no apology for negative posting but this needs seriously sorting out!!!!!!!!!




Admin edit: Post moved to more appropriate thread.

 

[gilesjuk]

As most of us support the Hospital and want to keep it open all hours the place really needs to sort its act out if it wants to keep people on-side!
The way some patients are still being dealt with is shoddy and needs top be sorted from the top. I wasted 2 hours with my sick Dad a few weeks ago as appointments were double booked and you feel like you're in a sausage machine rather than a valued patient. Had a chat with my Brother earlier who has a fractured collar bone. He'd been given an appointment with a Knee & Hip specialist and got turned away with "Sorry, I can't help you, you'll have to wait for another appointment!"
I make no apology for negative posting but this needs seriously sorting out!!!!!!!!!

Admin edit: Post moved to more appropriate thread.

They're massively understaffed, there's not a lot that can be done about that as nurses and doctors just don't want to be associated with the place.

If someone came to you for an interview and their CV said they had worked somewhere nationally renowned for failure then you would probably not hire them.

 

[gilbert grape]

Booking somebody in with the wrong doctor is elementary and inexcusable. That has little to do with staffing either.

 

[Jay]

In my view, Julie Bailey has caused far more damage than the hospital ever caused itself. The woman has a hell of a lot to answer for. There are ways to solve problems, her way isn't one of them.

And there was me thinking I was alone in thinking this!
Well said.

 

[Gramaisc]

That's interesting as i accompany a relative with diabetes on their periodic visit to SDGH they always plump for the latest possible appointment to avoid sitting in corridor and watching the staff avoid eye contact for hours on end. Yet even having the 16:30 slot can end up in a wait exceeding 90mins.......

I have had cause to make a single visit to Wolverhampton recently, for a non-A&E situation. I hung around in the waiting area, as I was only providing transport, whilst the event itself went exactly to time, and had to turn away two unsolictited enquiries about my own well-being from randomly passing staff - I decided that, if another one did it, then I would get my slightly iffy knee looked at - but, unfortunately, my charge's consultation was over exactly on time and we had to leave, or it might have started to look a bit odd.

All in all, it seemed to have a rather different culture, but it was just a single visit. Anybody else been there?


It seems that another decision point on returning the 24 hour A&E will be taken on March 29th - http://www.staffordshirenewsletter.co.uk/News/Overnight-opening-a-step-closer-for-AE-02032012.htm .

 

[Floss]

I have only had small dealings at the hospital in the last few years and it's been mixed service for example my dad had a hip operation at Cannock but lives in stafford, so after being home for a couple of days was taken to stafford with a suspected blood clot in his leg, it turned out to be nothing, however prior to his scan the young nurse came to take bloods, she had a tray with the needle and some labels in which my dads name was written on, as she took the bloods a good looking colleague came in and sat at the desk, her attention turned to him, having one eye on him, she took the bloods and took them over to to the desk to chat to her colleague, but left the most important thing on the bed, the labels with my dads name on, my daughter had to take the labels to her as she was so oblivious to the fact she'd left them! So I can see how mix ups and mistakes do happen.
On three other occasions one a relative is extremely ill at the moment and is elderly, they have been brilliant with him and as my mum is his career they have rang on several occasions and offered to get support for her if it gets too much!
On the other hand I know someone who was visiting at the hospital and passed an old lady in a bed on the corridor, as she passed the old lady asked this person to fetch a nurse as she urgently needed the toilet, this person found a nurse only to be told, she's not my patient and she'll have to wait!
the third thing I heard was a friend took her lad into A n E for an injury to his ankle and was received by a dr who spoke very broken English, he asked if he had any conditions, my friend replied yes he has Tourette's, the dr tried to say Tourette's a few times then said what is this? I have never heard of this before!
I think a lot of the mistakes and neglect have been down to certain individuals and is not the fault of everyone who works there, but unfortunately because of the all the press attention the whole place has a bad name, which I think is certainly not fair on the genuine one's who do care and do look after their patients in a professional and caring manner.

 

[staffordjas]

After hubby having to have an op on his heart just before christmas ,here's what I think of SDGH

A&E still has a lot to sort out (especially the triage nurses )!

Hubby was sent to A&E with chest pains and breathless by our GP, who had rung beforehand so that they were expecting us and written a letter for us to take to A&E reception. Gave the letter in, were seen by the triage nurse and told her he had chest pains and breathless . When the blood pressure readings she took were really high she blamed it on the machine mal-functioning,and this was where the mistakes started! We were kept waiting in the waiting room for over 1 & half hours despite me enquiring numerous times at the desk.I was told that all the other people who were coming in after us and being seen before us were 'minor injuries' so they were being seen first.

Eventually we were walked to the lift and then to the first floor GP assessment unit, hubby started clutching his chest as we approached it, the nurse jokingly said "don't get telling me that you've come in with chest pains now that I've walked you up!" Told her that was the reason we were there.......next thing all hell broke loose, he was rushed to a bed and seen immediately by a doctor.
Unbelieveably,The A&E Triage nurse had omitted to tick the boxes on her computer saying he had chest pains, breathlessness,rapid heartbeat etc etc

It was found to be his heart and he was admitted to The GP Assessment Unit who were absolutely brilliant and couldn't have done anymore for him than they did.

He then spent over 2 weeks on The Acute Cardiac Unit. All the staff there,from the cleaners up to nurses,doctors,consultants were absolutely marvellous and his care in there couldn't have been bettered anywhere.

The last 3 days he was transferred to Ward 2 ............. In his words "I think I've come to hell!"
When I visited he had been waiting over 2hrs for a jug of water to take his tablets which they had left with him earlier.
When a nurse passed his bed he asked her for water again. Her answer ,accompanied with a giggle,was "I'll find a jug in a bit- I've got to see to a lady on the side ward,she's been ringing her buzzer for about 3 hours now".

So,to sum up our experience...

A&E still Crap

Ward 2 Crap

GP Assessment Unit BRILLIANT

and Acute Cardiac Unit BRILLIANT , with dedicated staff and got their wards working as they should be.

 

[Floss]

sounds like we'd all be better off going to the vets !

 

[That-Crazy-Rat-Lady]

I think a lot of the mistakes made are down to human error - most aren't deliberate.
If the NHS was run by robots and machines then errors wouldn't be made but then you wouldn't get the
caring, loving, friendly individuals you find, such as nurses, doctors and other staff that really do make a difference in the NHS.

 

[Gramaisc]

How the BBC sees 'us' - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20222283 .

 

[proactive]

I think a lot of the mistakes made are down to human error - most aren't deliberate.

Or negligence or maybe incompetence if looked at another way.

Either way errors shouldn't be made. There is no excuse WHATSOEVER for omitting to record that a patient has been admitted with chest pains and shortness of breath. Nor is there any excuse for patients waiting hours for water with which to take their medication or to have their buzzer responded to.

Do we accept errors from air traffic controllers? No. So why the hell should we in the NHS?

The sad truth is that it is now becoming more and more apparent that this 'lack of competence' (if we have to be carey-sharey and diplomatic about people who are incapable of doing the job that they are paid for diligently and humanely) is not simply limited to Stafford, but quite widespread.

 

[That-Crazy-Rat-Lady]

I may be naive but I just find it hard to believe that there are people - local Stafford people, who deliberately wish to harm patients. Who deliberately choose not to help people in need. Especially in a profession they have worked hard in and chosen to be in.

I don't know much about the goings on in Stafford hospital - or any hospital - my main concern is the apparent lack of care towards human beings.

 

[Gramaisc]

I'm not sure that a lot of what went on was a deliberate attempt to harm people, it was more more just carelessness and, possibly, contempt for the patient. I saw some horrible things up there years ago, mostly in the elderly wards, but at the same time I saw some staff that were trying to stay above it all and were really trying beyond the call of duty - but they seemed to receive little, if any, backing from those above them.

 

[staffordjas]

but at the same time I saw some staff that were trying to stay above it all and were really trying beyond the call of duty - but they seemed to receive little, if any, backing from those above them.

The staff on The Acute Cardiac Ward were working well beyond the call of duty with many of them staying over a couple of hours after their shift had ended on some occassions, because they cared and wanted to get the job done. 3 people died nearby my husband during his stay on that Ward and he said the nurses and doctors were in tears and really did try to pull out all the stops to save the patients. Just a shame all of the staff recruited at the hospital aren't so dedicated.
(Whilst hubby was awaiting his water on ward 2 and loads of other buzzers beeping away like mad, one of the nurses had her mobile phone out for ages,showing her colleagues something hilarious on it! )

 

[That-Crazy-Rat-Lady]

I'm glad your Husband has a (mostly) positive experience - I know one of the nurses who works on the cardiac ward and shes lovely!

I just don't want all nurses to be tarred with the same brush, as a town with a large hospital many of us know, or are related to people who work in care at the NHS and know that they are often rushed off their feet and work under pressure.

 

[Pete1983]

may be naive but I just find it hard to believe that there are people - local Stafford people, who deliberately wish to harm patients. Who deliberately choose not to help people in need. Especially in a profession they have worked hard in and chosen to be in.

I am a nurse at stafford, have been for many years, I have seen the bad and the good, I have been a heart patient myself many times over, shocked 4 times on ACU, where I recieved fantastic care, I had cholecystitis and pancreatitis, treated on wards 6, 7 and 8 again recieved good care. Every patient I treat I constantly have in the back of my head; 'this is someones mum, dad, grandparent etc' I get a great deal of satisfaction from my work, as I know my colleagues also do.

 

[That-Crazy-Rat-Lady]

Thankyou! Can we move this to a thread called 'Nurses at Stafford Hospital Work Incredibly Hard - Can We Please Not Assume They All Don't Care!'

All I'm saying is there seems to be an awful lot of blame on nurses and doctors - but they are just people, just humans, who make mistakes and DON'T deliberately mean to cause upset or harm to others.

 

[Pete1983]

All I'm saying is there seems to be an awful lot of blame on nurses and doctors - but they are just people, just humans, who make mistakes and DON'T deliberately mean to cause upset or harm to others.

thanks