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My Recent Hospital Visit!

mogworth profile image
40 Replies

Back in early January I had to call an ambulance on 999 and was taken to my local A&E on the way I stopped breathing could not get any oxygen in or out of my body, the ambulance crew had to bag me for the journey and i knew no more till I came around in intensive care a day and a half later where they had intrabated me. I was in intensive care for 4 days then they let me go home as I had no infections and had recovered well. They could not say what had caused this. A week and a half later I had to call an ambulance again struggling to breathe, they left me in a room in A&E for4 hours as they had no beds on any ward.( I had started my antibiotics and steroids at home 2 days previously, but they had not helped at all.) They found me a bed on a temporary ward were they administered salbutomol nebulisers. I had them every 4 hours, but they failed to look at my medical records, because I have a very bad reaction to them. They then moved me to a surgical ward, and boy was I ill could not work out why I was feeling so ill my heart rate was 170bpm could not speak, think or function at all. After being left like this for 6 hours, asking for some help but being ignored by nursing staff and Drs. I asked to see the sister and as I suffer from co2 retention I asked them to do a blood gas test to see if this was the problem, but that came back ok! which I was pleased about so I was trying to work out what was wrong with me. I then asked to see a Dr. It took two hours for a Dr to arrive and he could see I was struggling to breathe and to deal with my heart rate, he shouted at me that I have to accept that I was getting much worse, I did not have any energy to say anything to him, and thought by his actions which was nothing that i was going to die, really scared by now thinking about my family and my life. I was now alone again, then it dawned on me that they had given me, salbutamol nebs, and was having a very bad reaction to them. When i told the sister they were matter of fact with me and I could not get out of that hospital quick enough. I feel I must do something about this, so no one else is treated like this. I know they are busy but I was so scared any ideas other than going through the pals office as they are very biased at this hospital, would be much appreciated

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mogworth
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40 Replies
Bevvy profile image
Bevvy

Sounds like very scarey experience. PALS can often be a big help but if not the way forward for you suggest 1. Speak to your Gp. Need answers to what going on 2. Speak to your MP and get them to look into it for you.

Hope you get some answers

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toBevvy

Thank you for your help Bevvy, I was thinking about the M.P. as he appeared on T. V. saying how much this hospital had improved. It makes you wonder what it was like before special measures were set up! Best wishes to you

How absolutely terrifying - I feel sick just reading your post. The only thing i could suggest is to ring the BLF helpline they maybe able to offer advise. Lots of luck to you xxxxx

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply to

So sorry to upset you TADAW I would not want to upset anybody but felt that I needed to do something about this as I was so ill! Best wishes to you TADAW

in reply tomogworth

Dont worry about me! What a really awful experience, I cannot imagine how scared you must have been. When you are so poorly you expect and should get the best medical care. I hope that others can give you the advise to take this forward and complain. You certainly need to if for nothing else, to protect others. How brave you are xxx

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply to

Thank you once again TADAW so nice to have such great support Best Wishes to you!

casper99 profile image
casper99 in reply to

My feeling exactly Tadaw., sick to my stomach.

Puffthemagicdragon profile image
Puffthemagicdragon

Name and shame the place. Your treatment was disgusting. A similar thing happened to me and, when I was feeling a bit better, I gave the doctor, who was caring for me at the hospital, a piece of my mind ! I was treated well after that.

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toPuffthemagicdragon

That is just how I feel I would like to get hold of the Doctor in question and tell him, and show him how wrong he was. He gives Doctors a bad name and in all honesty most of the Doctors I have come into contact with, have been superb and only want to help you. Best wishes to you and thank you Puff

Puffthemagicdragon profile image
Puffthemagicdragon in reply tomogworth

I agree most doctors and nurses are great.

knitter profile image
knitter

I was given Salbutamol nebules through oxygen on the hospital ward and my O2 levels fell , the oximeter alarm was going, but strangely enough I felt ok .

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toknitter

I am totally allergic to salbutamol nebuliser, I have had a very bad reaction to it before, what really annoyed me was they did not read my notes, I felt like my chest was going to explode especially with my heart rate being so high! Thank you for your response Best wishes to you knitter

That's terrible mogworth - you must have been absolutely petrified! I would still go through Pals though. x

mogworth profile image
mogworth

I will contact Pals and see what their response is, and go from there. Best wishes coughalot1 and thank you

medow profile image
medow

Hi mogworth, how awful for you, this should be addressed as a matter of 'constructive feedback' write to the health minister, copies to the medical director of the hospital, and to the PCT ( primary care trust ) say a copy will go to the press as well, insist on an investigation, and ask what procedures will be put in place to stop this happening again, this treatment is inhumain. Let's hope and pray you don't have to go through this again x x

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply tomedow

Thank you medow for your answer on this matter, you are right it was inhumane and I have pretty broad shoulders and take things on the chin but the way I was treated was pretty dam awful. it has taken me all this time since I came home to let everybody know about this and am now very glad I have shared it with the expert panel of people on this site, I am just thankful to all of you! Best Wishes!

O2Trees profile image
O2Trees

You could talk to your GP about this, Mogworth, and point to him/her that, like it or not, since the NHS reorganisation, they, the GPs, are the commissioners, and they should be asking the hospital what the hell was going on with their disgusting treatment of you.

(There is no primary care trust to complain to now, medow, its the CCGs, clinical commissioning groups made up of GPs, that do the commissioning of services.)

You could complain to your local HEALTHWATCH - google Healthwatch and your locality and the contact details should come up. Pals should at least be able to give this contact too. Healthwatch was set up to ensure that local services are delivering as they should.

Also, i know its hard when you are having such a desperate time, but you need to tell them you can't have salbutamol - unfortunately notes sometimes don't get read, especially when A&E are under so much pressure with the cutbacks etc. We all need to be proactive around such issues. People can die from such mistakes and wrong as this is, it wouldn't do you much good to tell St. Peter that you're up there because they didn't read your notes ;)

Seriously though, have a card written out and ready to take with you in case you haven't enough breath to talk, telling A&E, or whoever, that you absolutely cannot have salbutamol.

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toO2Trees

Thank you for the information and help you have supplied. My first port of call will be with the Pals office tomorrow morning and see what response I get and go from there. I do carry a card which is an oxygen alert card because of the co2 level in my blood stream which the hospital supplied. I am also allergic to penicillin and they always give me a an armband with a red flash on it to let people know but nothing about salbutamol Best Wishes to you O2Trees

mogworth profile image
mogworth

That's a good idea about the bracelet I shall look into this Thank you! Best Wishes to you flibberti

Bevvy profile image
Bevvy in reply tomogworth

I wear a medic alert bracelet. Chose a nice one because I wear it all the time. Has ALL details on back of bracelet.

bikergrove profile image
bikergrove

What a terrible experience you have had you must report it,i know our health service is under great pressure, why the government keep giving aid to countries that do not need it and not put into our health service i just do not understand.Thinking of you x

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply tobikergrove

Thank you for your support, it is so reassuring to know that people are helping whenever they can Best Wishes to you bikergrove

bulpit profile image
bulpit

Morning Mogworth, What a terrible experience, How terrible to be shouted at,absolutely disgraceful. All hospitals have a department that deal with complaints of this nature,maybe you could get someone to help you write to them. When my husband was very poorly he was admitted to A & E as his sats were down to 49. He was supposedly put on oxygen, but almost two hours later it was suddenly noticed he had been put on an AIR line by mistake. I complained so that this mistake would not happen again. Nothing came of it, just an apology and said, steps were being taken so that it wouldn't happen again.My sympathy is with you, because you feel helpless in these situations. My very best wishes to you. Bulpit

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply tobulpit

Thank you for your response I feel I can do something about this now as i have regained some strength since being back home and with all of you guys behind me I shall do just that! Best Wishes to you bulpit

algil profile image
algil

Hospitals don't seem to care much these days,it's all about gov't cults and so forth,I had a bad experience myself not so long ago at our hospital.I don't know what place you are on about wouldn't be Hereford would it?

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toalgil

No not Hereford. Kingslynn I have been in touch with their pals office this morning and they have asked me to write it all down and send it in, so will be interesting what they come back with! Best Wishes to you algil

with the others on how bad you have been treated and hope something gets done about it, on ebay you can get customised silicone wrist bands with your choice of words on, get one and have them put on it "allergic to salbutamol"

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply to

I shall look into these wrist bands this afternoon Thank you for the information Best Wishes to you lloegr

in reply tomogworth

ebay number 171642105494 is one example, it should give you a clue as to what search terms to use for your hunt. I think theyre a great idea, and don't have to take them off in shower or for x ray either. Good luck finding something you like.

FarmerD profile image
FarmerD

Hi Mogworth,you poor thing this treatment is disgusting,I wish you well with your attempt to get satisfaction.It,s a good idea to get one of those arm band from EBay,they,re not very expensive.If you don,t get the reaction you want get in touch with your MP they should take up the case for you,best of luck,regards D.

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toFarmerD

Hello FarmerD Thank you for your response, yes he is on my list as he was on the local news saying how well this hospital was doing not a month ago, as you can imagine it made me very cross, but at the time was getting over this episode in hospital. He needs to be made aware that all is not well. Best Wishes to you!

emilyw profile image
emilyw

Hi there, sometimes you do wonder what is going on with the NHS. I am so sorry you have had a bad experience. I have just had an emergency admission into hospital taken straight to resuscitation because my heart was starved of oxygen. I have to say they were absolutely brilliant in the place they needed to be. To cut a long story short I had 11 blood clots go through my heart (pulmonery embolism) and any one could have been the end for me. The consultant tells me I am very lucky to be alive. I am also allergic to a number of drugs and I do find that even though it is written in my notes it does not seem enough as it gets missed. Nurses have to earn my trust as I find some of them seem to take more power than they should. I have experienced bad mistakes made by some nurses and note I do say 'some'. I do find that wearing a Medic Alert bracelet gives me a sense of security. There are many companies that make medic alert jewelery but the company that I chose was one that has existed for 50 years based in Milton Keynes on call 24/7. They have an additional service that, only if you choose to, cost £30 for a year which puts a contact number on your item. Where ever you are in this country or abroad (help with language issues) medical staff can contact them to find out your medical history as well as important information engraved on your item. I rang and spoke to someone who took all my information in a very kind and professional manner. I do feel a bit more secure when it is on my wrist and if I am unconscious I would not be able to tell anyone. If I were to have a car accident or any accident it would be there to assist the ambulance people. I hope it also helps when I am in hospital. It is another way of feeling a bit more secure for any future episodes because this one will certainly have shaken you confidence. The problem, I feel, is I often have no energy to complain to the necessary bodies when I am ill and you do feel a little at their mercy when you are in hospital. We should not be placed in a position where we have to push to get the right care but it seems we sometimes have to.I understand the strain hospital staff are under but that is not an excuse not to look for things of vital importance. I do stand up for myself in hospital, when I am well enough and conscious, and I have at times stood up for others especially those that have mental health issues and are not being treated fairly. It takes energy and you don't always have that. I looked after my first husband for 20 years with major neurological complications with a brain tumour and sadly learnt not to trust anyone until they can show me they know what they are doing. I must say I have also met some brilliant staff who do everything you expect and more. It is absolutely right to expect good care in hospital and care that gives us all confidence in those who are looking after us. You have a right to say your care was not up to standard and giving you drugs they know you are allergic to is inexcusable, I hope you get some help with your situation that will enable you to feel better about any future visit to hospital. Love and hugs

eastridingbigden profile image
eastridingbigden

Hi Mogworth do not bother with PALS THEY ARE JUST PART OF THE HOSPITAL get in touch with your local health watch and then your clinical commision and report it then go to Health Watch england and report it to them has well. You where treated disgustingly its time we the patients stood up to these people good luck Mogworth

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toeastridingbigden

The reply to this post is a bit further down so sorry I think I hit the wrong button.

Dragonmum profile image
Dragonmum

Letter - hard copy, they ignore e-mails - to the hospital management, copies to your MP and Jeremy Hunt, and make sure they know you intend to circulate it further. It's election year so you might be in with a chance. This treatment was disgraceful - we all know the NHS is going to hell in a handbag, mainly because Admin takes up as much space as treatment areas in many hospitals and the money wasted is obscene - but no excuse for what you went through, that's just plain neglect.

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply toDragonmum

Thank you for your help Dragonmum Jeremy Hunt is high on my list and he will be made aware of what went on, I would not wont anybody else to go through this so will pursue this Best Wishes to you.

mogworth profile image
mogworth

Thank you for your reply, but I ill start with pals as i am sure if I don't then this will be thrown at me further down the road. But fear not, if the answers are just pushed to one side I will take it much further, it is so easy for them to fob you off with what they think is an adequate apology not this time! Best Wishes to you eastridingbigden

sassy59 profile image
sassy59

I feel so sad for you mogworth to have been treated so badly when you were in such dire need of help is absolutely disgusting. The bracelet idea is great and could help so long as someone thinks to check it. Name and shame the place and do write to your MP. This has got to stop and is not good enough. I hope you can tell the doctor how bad he made you feel too. Take care and wishing you well. xxxxx

mogworth profile image
mogworth in reply tosassy59

Thank you for your reply sassy59.I have been so fired up this morning by all the support from you all, i have just written a 4 page complaint to pals and have got a few copies for all relevant persons so we will see what becomes of it! Best Wishes to you!

Absolutely disgraceful Mogwworth and even inhumane. I'm glad you're so determined to make these complaints because too often doctors and hospitals are never maxe to answer for their mistakes. Yoo have had a dreadful ordeal and I hope you are getting over the trauma. Best wishes to you - and the cats :)

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