The 'Patient's voice' COUNTS, do not give up and keep complaining if your needs have not been met or substandard care was given!

[nobodysdriving]

Most of you will have heard on the news/read on papers about the 'horrid' care at Mid-Staffordshire Hospital and that the report on the public enquiry has just been published.

I am reading the summary of the 'Robert Francis QC' report and in the introduction it says:

-In the end,

-the truth was uncovered in part by attention being paid to the true implications of its

-mortality rates, but mainly because of the persistent complaints made by a very determined

-group of patients and those close to them. This group wanted to know why they and their

-loved ones had been failed so badly.

So....you see, it was 'mainly' the 'very determined' group of patients which sparked the major investigations, if it wasn't for them who know how much longer the horror might have gone on for!

Our voice do bear a weight, but we must keep on and stay united, and the stronger our voice the more it can be heard.

Do not give up xxx

[helvella]

I found the whole Mid-Staffs affair very difficult to concentrate on. I just want to run away!

Truly dreadful.

But you are absolutely right. If everyone complained to the appropriate bodies, in a measured way, when they feel there is an issue, it would have an effect.

The presence of this very group here is seeing people in their individual cases doing things like not accepting "normal" as a test result, understanding that symptoms are linked, that things can be better than they have been by appropriate medicine changes, etc. Eventually this does build up.

I feel that despite everything, things are looking a bit brighter for thyroid patients than they were before the internet.

[MaryF]

Agreed! And let us not all forget the very brave junior doctor who lost her entire career, she was the first person to blow the whistle, the medical regulator instead of protecting her, went after her..the high court ruled that they were a totalitarian regime. The paper which she and her colleagues wrote surpasses current papers written by government. The very childish DoH has ignored this paper so far. However if people signed and beyond signing, helped promote the petition to get signatures up. They would be forced to read the paper written by somebody who really did work at the coal face. This doctor has continued to stick up for those being bullied professionally or patients receiving nasty care including those involved in thyroid cases. Please help me to do something about this.

This doctor blew the whistle years before this came about, and early and articulate warning ignored and sidelined with awful behaviour exhibited towards the whistleblower

change.org/en-GB/petitions/...

Mary F

[nobodysdriving in reply to MaryF]

thank you Mary x

[Clarebear]

Yes I am feeling mor hopeful too. The Internet is bringing more and more of us together and eventually we will be heard I'm sure. Unfortunately that will be too late for many though. Xx

[NBob]

I really think that the tide is turning.

We have the Scottish Parliament looking into Thyroid issues

We have doctors revalidation where the doctors assessor has to consider complaints made against them

the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Report, as nobdysdriving points out, highlights the importance of complaining.

Complaining in a structured way with supporting evidence is really important. If a doctor is not making a patient well we should complain about them. If we don't, the bad practice will continue, and badly affect other patients.

I know that complaining is a daunting task and is particularly hard for people with the low energy that hypothyroid patients have but complaining is really important.

i hope that we can get a "Complaint Pack" together to empower patients to complain about their appalling treatment

[Hidden in reply to NBob]

Good point. Anyone eloquent enough to put a Complaint Pack template together?

So if I make a formal complaint to my GP it would be looked at when he is revalidated? Is that right?

Presumably it would be OK to link to that vid, after all it adds weight to a complaint surely?

[Kezzerb in reply to NBob]

Hi NBob I agree with you. A complaint pack would be good for I believe just writing a letter of complaint would be a book for me as we have struggled for many years it states on many of the thyroid sites that stress is a factor where hpothyroidism is concerned. Having to deal with the pain, many exacerbating symptoms and being treated by GP'S that take your feelings for granted is stressfull enough having a complaint pack would help take the load off.

[NBob in reply to Kezzerb]

OK, then, I'll start one but it will take time because I work (just) full time and still don't have full recovery

[Kezzerb in reply to NBob]

Well done but not to stress yourself. I'm not sure if you have seen the complaint letter that has been set for thyroid change it would be worth looking at. To see how they have gone about it.

thyroidchange.org/letter-to...

Also there is a good page on Facebook called thyroid sexy lots of information on there. Amazing to see how people have become so well since going on to NDT even pics of before and after. Also it is so good to see how all the thyroid groups in other countries throughout the world are connecting with each other we should all unite.

[NBob in reply to Kezzerb]

Thanks for those resources.

[Hidden]

I Have Signed....I was just watching two of the deceased patient's relatives on TV telling what had happened to their loved ones, it was diabolical and disgusting, a catalogue of disasters not just one thing leading directly to the death of the patient and the way the nurses talked to them made me feel ashamed to be a nurse. If I could change this single handed I would. I have even asked the Quality Care Commission if I could work for them, they said "no jobs". I said I'll do it voluntarily then ! Sorry, we can't help you.......enough said !

[Kezzerb]

Really interesting article here.

300+ Hypothyroid symptoms

thyroidchange.org/300-hypot...

[Kezzerb]

It would be good to see a title with how many people are suffering throughout the world.