I just though I'd share my scary encounter with my respiratory team.
Saw the cons on Friday, she rocked up an hour late and was in a foul mood, tried to tell her I was unwell, (big morning dips, loads of Ventolin and chest pain), was told I should probably be on oral pred, but she was too busy to write a script. I happened to have a GP appt the same day, by the time I got there my pf was about 50% and my sats were 87%. I persuaded the GP that I was OK at home with oral pred beacuse I didn't want to see the cons again. Struggled all weekend, by the time I saw my GP on the Monday my pf was 29% and sats 85%, so ended up in Acute Care. They were brilliant, IV steroids, nebs, one to one nursing because I was so unstable. Then I got handed over the respiratory team, which you would think would be a good thing, but no! They didn't write up my drug chart properly, so I had no inhalers, they didn't write up my cardiac drugs, so I ended up in CCU in the middle of the night for cardioversion. I bit scary given that they had a drug list from my GP. The cons came around the following day and was absolutely vile again, she wrote off all my nebs but didn't write up any inhalers, so my peak flow went through the floor again. Looking at my peak flow chart she announced that my peak flow was varying because I wasn't trying hard enough (the readings were actually pre and post nebs, so you would expect them to change). I was discharged with peak flow of 55% (the protocol says pf should be 75% before discharge), and told I would be followed up in clinic in two weeks, four weeks on I still haven't had an appointment. When one of the junior staff did my discharge I was told that many people with asthma don't come in to hospital when they should because of this consultant. I phoned them yesterday to be told the cons had forgotten to tick the box on the discharge report!
I find it frankly terrifying that the respiratory team don't follow their own protocols, and I can understand why asthma patients try to avoid admission, I know I will be in future. Has anybody else come across this?
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cliffhopper
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Have you considered putting all this down in a complaint to the hospital. If correct protocols aren't being followed then the hospital authorities should be informed.
Do you have faith in your GP? You are entitled to have a different consultant. If others have found her impossible then the hospital will most likely have that on record too. Try PALS, (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) you do not need to make an official complaint, you can "raise concerns". It it outrageous that you have been treated like this. Your health is being seriously compromised.
Take action. It is hard but think of others who have been damaged by this woman.
Makes me mad ignorance it really does. I had one resp doc tellin me one thing and another resp doc saying the complete opposite. Both on the same team so u wud think they wud communicate. Ur story is shocking. Theres no excuse for it. They should be ashamed. Dont delay thou if ur poorly ring 999. Hope u get help from gp or someone whos listenin at least. Shocking that is. Get well soon x hugs x
You need to place an official complaint via the PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) service as that was negligent on behalf of the consult and a failure of your care. It is absolutely disgusting how you have been treat especially by a consultant - she is not god and should not be allowed to medically treat people like she thinks she is.
You also need to go to your GP and ask to be referred for a second opinion from an alternative consultant - its your right to ask for an alternative clinician if you are too uncomfortable with your current one, so please don't be fobbed off. It may take time as depending on your area and staffing levels depends on the waiting times.
I've had varying A&E experience but fortunately for me the consultant I saw was lovely and I'm due to see him next week for my first appointment following discharge (was meant to have a six week follow up but that was changed to 2 months as there were no spaces in the clinics).
If you are unwell however do not delay in going to hospital. If that consultant is on-call refuse to be treated by them and ask to stay under the medical team until another consultant comes on-call as you have had poor dealings with them in the past. Not stuff you want to think about while you feel like you are suffocating but if you can do it. But please don't suffer a lack of medical treatment because of an idiot consultant who should know better.
It is really sad that when we are at our most vulnerable that we are let down, and then we are the ones who have to try and fix the problem. As a priority, you need to get yourself fixed first and then when you are improved you need to pull out the big gun and launch a complaint against your treatment. We have had to complain about an NHS matter and it is painfully slow - but we hope worth it. Good luck and hope all is better soon.
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