Hospitalised GP left screaming all night in pain during NHS winter crisis ordeal

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Northerner

Northerner

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A GP being treated for septic arthritis in his knee was left screaming all night in pain during a four-week stay in a major English hospital this winter, with the care he received 'at times verging on negligence and neglect', GPonline can reveal.

The GP was left in tears, screaming and begging for help throughout the night around a week into his stay in hospital as staff failed to alleviate extreme pain caused by the bleeding, open wound on his knee.

Nurses sometimes took more than an hour to respond to buzzer calls, urine samples and dirty swabs were left lying around his room, pain relief was delayed and he was denied adequate food.

https://www.gponline.com/exclusive-...ring-nhs-winter-crisis-ordeal/article/1458163

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And Jeremy *unt gets rewarded for presiding over things such as this?!?! 🙄
 
After a recent stay in hospital the staff are going down-hill. All my life I have been in & out & I do know the difference. You used to get caring nurses but now they have degrees don't you know. Who thought of that ? Poor Dr 🙄
 
When I was in before Xmas for my knee - the youngest woman on the orthopaedic ward LOL - one night I heard one of the two staff nurses take a call from A&E and refusing an extra admission and the other staff nurse telling her to tell whoever was calling that if they admitted the patient to them - she'd vote with her feet there and then and walk out since they were already short of actual nursing staff let alone beds and they'd been operating below the 'unsafe' level of staffing for months already.

I've no idea of the outcome because someone closed the ward door then, realising that they were speaking at too high a volume (it was 'angry' so they were correct and it's fortunate that those nearer the door were most likely all deaf anyway - cos I was right at the far end myself!)

Some of the X-ray dept adjoins A&E and several times I attended outpatients up to January there were patients in beds with accompanying families all down the A&E corridor - and it's a long corridor with the treatment rooms either side. Worrying to say the least.
 
trophywench said:
When I was in before Xmas for my knee - the youngest woman on the orthopaedic ward LOL - one night I heard one of the two staff nurses take a call from A&E and refusing an extra admission and the other staff nurse telling her to tell whoever was calling that if they admitted the patient to them - she'd vote with her feet there and then and walk out since they were already short of actual nursing staff let alone beds and they'd been operating below the 'unsafe' level of staffing for months already.

I've no idea of the outcome because someone closed the ward door then, realising that they were speaking at too high a volume (it was 'angry' so they were correct and it's fortunate that those nearer the door were most likely all deaf anyway - cos I was right at the far end myself!)

Some of the X-ray dept adjoins A&E and several times I attended outpatients up to January there were patients in beds with accompanying families all down the A&E corridor - and it's a long corridor with the treatment rooms either side. Worrying to say the least.
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Quote 'cos I was right at the far end myself' On my numerous admissions for pancreatitis I was always placed closest to the ward doors and closest to the lifts, When I enquired why this was, I was told that the patients closest to the doors were placed there as they were the ones at highest risk of deterioration (or popping their clogs) and they could get them to ICU asap. Obviously being at the other end, Jenny, you would be considered the least at risk. Luckily I didn't have to put that one to the test.🙂
 
When I was diagnosed in 2008 it was all very busy, but manageable on the whole. The ambulance got to me in about 5 minutes and I was straight into Resus - no waiting around in ambulances. In the 8 days I was there I was in about 7 different beds, including 3 in one day! Had to admire the bed manager though, he absolutely worked his socks off. ALL the staff were extremely kind and caring and I felt very well looked-after. I would also add that I really enjoyed the food! 🙂

I imagine all those people (and there were a heckuva lot of them), if they are still in the profession, have been really struggling and frustrated at not being able to provide the kind of care they gave me. One ward I was on had 10 people in it, some very seriously ill, and was looked after by 2 nurses on each 12 hour shift. One day one nurse was off sick, so the remaining nurse had to do everything - there was no extra cover. She was superb and never lost her friendly and caring attitude for a moment. I wrote to the hospital praising her and also a male nurse on another ward. It all showed me what hard work was really like. One thing I hate to hear is the claim that 'there are xxx more nurses/doctors than there were in 2010 - totally ignoring the fact that there are thousands and thousands of unfilled vacancies, and many, many of them have left the NHS because of the pressures and capped pay and conflict.
 
Has it anything to do with Drugs & tabs. I was in Cumbria infirmary with phuemonia a few years ago & 2am a person who had been to a night club came in. Very high on drugs & was trying to light his tab on the red lts on sockets behind bed. He got to the toilet & set the Fire Alarm off at about 4am ! The 90yr old & the rest of the hosp where pleased !
 
HOBIE said:
Has it anything to do with Drugs & tabs. I was in Cumbria infirmary with phuemonia a few years ago & 2am a person who had been to a night club came in. Very high on drugs & was trying to light his tab on the red lts on sockets behind bed. He got to the toilet & set the Fire Alarm off at about 4am ! The 90yr old & the rest of the hosp where pleased !
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Don’t think this situation has anything to do with drugs and tabs (cigarettes) Hobie. Sounds more like simple neglect of this guy’s needs.
 
Davein said:
I was told that the patients closest to the doors were placed there as they were the ones at highest risk of deterioration (or popping their clogs) and they could get them to ICU asap.
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When I've been in hospital I've often been next to the door 😱:confused:
 
Amigo said:
Don’t think this situation has anything to do with drugs and tabs (cigarettes) Hobie. Sounds more like simple neglect of this guy’s needs.
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Is that why hospitals are busy? You should have seen the beds getting pushed around because one individual want a tab. I have been in a local hosp at 4am & 4 sets of Police in there in the early hours. Keeping people in check. Please go down your local hosp at certain times. You will get a shock !
 
Ralph-YK said:
When I've been in hospital I've often been next to the door 😱:confused:
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It’s absolutely true Ralph. The patients nearest the door on the old nightingale wards were always the patients who were expected to pop their clogs, or be transferred to “Rose Cottage” as we called the mortuary in case other patients could hear. Apart from anything else, it caused less distress to other patients as you didn’t have to close all the curtains while the recently departed were removed from the ward.

That’s a bit off topic, mind.

My thoughts are if a GP can’t get preferential treatment in hospital, the great and glorious NHS has gone right down the plug.
 
HOBIE said:
Is that why hospitals are busy? You should have seen the beds getting pushed around because one individual want a tab. I have been in a local hosp at 4am & 4 sets of Police in there in the early hours. Keeping people in check. Please go down your local hosp at certain times. You will get a shock !
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I don’t think there’s much about hospitals that would shock me anymore Hobie having been a patient and visitor more times than I’d ever wish and having worked in one for years.
Yesterday was my dear mother’s 25th day seriously ill in hospital and I’ve spent all nighters in A&E watching the antics.

It’s true the nuisance patients put the staff under too much pressure but it doesn’t really relate to this guy’s situation on a Ward from reading the details. Just poor care unfortunately.
 
The staffs heads are taken up with things what parents should have been doing. I do feel sorry for your mother but what would you think if an "druggy" had the bed next to her & tried to light a fag, then did so ? The whole hospital on the move ? At leased 2hours in middle of the night. Because he wanted a siggy ! That's one reason why NHS is under pressure o_O The nice Matron got a punch from him while the hosp security was there. He then got a injection to calm him down. He left early in the morn & signed himself out (prob before he was got at) 🙂
 
HOBIE said:
The staffs heads are taken up with things what parents should have been doing. I do feel sorry for your mother but what would you think if an "druggy" had the bed next to her & tried to light a fag, then did so ? The whole hospital on the move ? At leased 2hours in middle of the night. Because he wanted a siggy ! That's one reason why NHS is under pressure o_O The nice Matron got a punch from him while the hosp security was there. He then got a injection to calm him down. He left early in the morn & signed himself out (prob before he was got at) 🙂
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I’ve been on a Ward myself where this happened Hobie. It’s a disgrace and many hospitals are forced to employ security to deal with these idiots. Yes there are disruptive elements who can take up too much valuable time but there’s no suggestion that was the reason here.

The question is...what has this to do with the GP patient who was left screaming in agony and dirty urine and swab samples left around him? He was in the hospital for 4 weeks and I doubt the staff were distracted dealing with drugged up smokers every night! I think as a GP this guy would know the standard and type of care he should have been receiving. Clearly he didn’t receive it on this occasion hence the official complaint.
 
The staff had little time to do their job & look after this poor man. I was not there but is this yet another paper report ?
 
HOBIE said:
The staff had little time to do their job & look after this poor man. I was not there but is this yet another paper report ?
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I agree it should be subject to full and fair investigation. Sadly, having spent virtually every day at the hospital for the past 3 weeks + I could write plenty of ‘paper reports’ about very poor patient attention and I’m only glad my mother had family to advocate for her or I doubt she’d have been fed (she’s lost 25 lbs during her stay). Truth is, the staff are under immense pressure from sheer numbers and demands but sometimes the care simply isn’t as good as it should be.
 
Have a look at the staff car park. Not many banngers in there ? Very near me a nurse said they would not go in when it snowed a few years ago. You could walk the 2miles in not so long, get the bus in minutes. You know the off sick rates for NHS staff. I have worked in lots of hospitals also. I agree about care in some of these places.
 
HOBIE said:
Have a look at the staff car park. Not many banngers in there ? Very near me a nurse said they would not go in when it snowed a few years ago. You could walk the 2miles in not so long, get the bus in minutes. You know the off sick rates for NHS staff. I have worked in lots of hospitals also. I agree about care in some of these places.
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Sorry, you’ve gone off on another tangent and I’ve no idea how that relates Hobie.

I’m calling it a day on this discussion now. I have bigger concerns on my mind than what kind of cars under-paid nurses have thanks.
 
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