General Chat

You really made me giggle Sue. I can just imagine the theatre gown flying in the wind and your poor mum trying to explain! Good luck with the publicity, you are doing the right thing! Abigail

nudge. suex

Sue, where in Wales are you? M.

Sue, while she is on heparin and warfarin she is unlikely to have clot, but for cellulitis (if it's bad) she needs antibiotics via drip. I would speak to the consultant tomorrow and take it from there, can you get your MP or family health council involved? All the best. M.

Hi Sue! I'm afraid those who make the most noise get results - but if it's not in your nature to complain, it's a matter of winding yourself up, to do so........ I have just arrived back from Evesham Hospital where my Uncle has been for over six weeks, after breaking his hip. He is 94 and survived the op OK but has had two lung infections since! The hospital is old but he is in a nice, airy ward and the staff are most pleasant HOWEVER they need the bed and are sending him home on Weds - to his 91 year old wife, also walking with a frame! I have arranged for Social Services and a nurse to visit daily (I live 3 hours' drive away) and just have to hope that they will cope. They refuse to consider residential care, but do have Careline installed in their flat, for emergencies. I spend a few days down there trying to sort things out every month but am a pensioner myself! Good Luck with your Mum, you can only do your best....... Lily x

Bridget Hi , its awful this blood buisness isnt it and mum has been on some really nice wards in the past, hopefully will get it sorted please let the inr be back up. Harold I am considering local MP taking digital camera in now . suex

Sorry to hear about your problems and worries,However,as we are in the 'Run up to an Election' and the candidates are 'Supposedly'all things to all men at the moment,Why not contact your local MP. He,s bound to want to be seen doing things for his Constituants at this moment in time. So why not use him to try and sort it out for you?. Hal.

Sue, I am so sorry your mum is ill and in such a bad room. I am on Warfrin for life and still managed to get P.E.s. I think she needs to be in hospital for the heparin injections, I did. I hope you can get something done about the dreadful conditions. Positive thoughts to you and Mum. Love Bridget x

Marion, im sorry to hear about your dad, and yes im going to chase it all up tomorrow everything closes down on weekends. Take care suex

Sue, I'm very sorry and angry to read this thread. Contact the PALS service if the hospital has one and go armed with a list of your grievances. I had problems similar to this when my father was in hospital last year. Although PALS don't resolve the problem for you they make sure that you are seen by the right people and will move heaven and earth to make sure that you don't take your complaints any further, i.e. outside the hospital. In my Dad's case an improvement was made within 24 hours, alas it was too late for him but I'm sure that if I had made my complaints to PALS earlier then his last days would have been more comfortable. Instead I was pushed from pillar to post with nobody accepting responsibility for the conditions until PALS intervened. Make an appointment to see them as soon as possible. I hope everything gets sorted out for you. Regards. Marion

Just got back in , unfortunatly couldnt resite canula last night so had to wait for on call dr to attend came this morning so missed last night dose. There are double doors to corridor Abigail no lock and usually blocked open have written to executive of health complaints ,senior nurse manager for block and are going to look up PALS tomorrow. The buzzer system on the wall outside the room is hanging off with unattatched wires. Im afraid our family is very small mum, me 1 cousin 1 aunt both who live away(thats why im always searching on here). When I said to nurse about security of room she answered weve had no trouble yet ! and as soon as a bed comes up on main ward mum can have it . Oh well lets see blood results today and see if I can get her home, leaving the thread soon to return to hospital. suex

Sue I would contact a national paper like the Sun. They may investigate . It may get bums off seats and action taken. Wishing your mum a speedy recovery Elaine x

hi sue after reading all these replies how about sending a copy of your letters to the WELSH ASS. office they are always telling us how well they are doing on the hospitals and see what there response is hope your mam will soon be home howard

Ask for the bed manager to come and keep guard at the ward door! B****y administrators need to 'go back to the floor' to realise what the'bed status' is! Or the chief executive as their salary bonus could probably pay for 8 full time newly qualified nurses. I believe in the NHS - up to a point - that point is where you have departments of managers and their admin. The only other option you have is to have a family member in, in shifts. Or - now this is just a practical though - what about giving your mother one of those air horns that they have at football matches, that should be sufficiently loud for the nursing staff to hear if she needs anything. Actually I am really surprised that there are rooms outside the ward. Even in the oldest hospital I worked in the side rooms are on the corridor immediately inside the ward doors and the corridor opens out into the nightingale ward. Don't lie low though, contact your patient liaison person, bed manager, chief executive and if you must inform these people that you would like to warn as many other people as possible of the security risk this situation poses ('for the public good'). A pair of doors further out than these rooms, with a combi lock won't cost more than a week's salary of the average manager! Let the nurses know that you are doing what you can to help. It won't just be the nursing staff that benefit and all staff will be extremely grateful for the support and drum banging. Patients, relatives and staff unite against the managers! Tra -la! I hope your mum gets good test results through soon. Abigail

Thanks all for your replies just been typing some letters to nursing manager etc. The tracking up her leg has now stopped so hopefully responding to iv antibiotics they keep on saying they wont discharge because they need to keep close eye on inr levels. Looby Loo im just like you, mum in lot of pain and because she can get to toilet with stick shes self caring .I assist her with changing, washing etc because she does not like to cause a fuss . I understand the funding problems with the NHS but this room and area leaves a lot to be desired. The rapid response team will accomadate her when she comes home to me for ivs. I am not critisizing the hospital as a whole but this area is old , and not fit to accommadate patients, 5 years ago mum was admitted here with pnemonia in side room but on mian ward no one wore gloves etc and she contracted clostridium and ended up being barrier nursed for 31/2 weeks. suex

If she's got cellulitis I would leave her where she is as it can get nasty unless its not too bad and the team at home are quite happy. Trouble is, if she discharges herself and runs in to trouble, you may have troubel getting her back in. I would make an appointment sharpish with the Directorate Manager (in charge of whole unit, i.e. Specialised Services) and get him/her to come and look at the state of the room your mother is in! Pam

Sue just a little note to say I hope your Mother gets better soon and is home safe and well can't offer any advice as in Australia but do know what you are going through and send my love and prayers to you both Lara xx

sue i sent u email hope u dont mind i had cellulitis in my leg and it was horrible like looby loo says with her hubby my leg swelled up double the size but i had blisters as well yuk it was horrible lol

Hi Em, mum on wafarin for life has had 4 DVTs and 2 PEs her INRs had dropped below 1 and should be 2.5 so they have doubled dose of wafarin and got her on heparin jabs daily . The rapid response team can give 8 drips daily for the cellutlitus at my home and take the INRs but they are still saying to me in from of mum that she has to stay in because of blood, so shes now worried about it. So glad your well now. suex

Suzy, please dont worry about the clots, i had sadly had 2 DVT's... but whilst i was on Heparin..( due to pregnancy i couldnt have warfarin tablets), i injected myself every day in my tummy with heparin, and was told i was the least likely on earth to have a clot whilst injecting. I just went to the coagulation clinic once a week for monetering of blood levels and that was it.... apart from a very bruised pregnant bump! lol.