Frustration Turns To Anger - NHS Not Fit For Purpose!

Yesterday Darrell, my Aunty Trisha and I went to visit Mum in  Hospital. She has been there for quite a few weeks now and is currently recovering from an operation to remove part of her right leg, a week or so ago. Up to now her stay at The Queen Alexander Hospital in Portsmouth has been the usual mix of conjecture, frustration and indignation. As a family we have come to expect this scenario and do all we can to make sure Mum gets the best treatment she can.

On arrival from Southampton General Hospital, after her amputation, she waited two hours for a bed to be allocated; the ward she was due to go on, no longer had any space available. temporarily she was put on a dementia ward and her recovery and rehabilitation suffered as a result. Mothers state of mind became muddled and confused, slowly she began to deteriorate.

When we arrived to visit Mum, we were immediately told we couldn't see her as there were strict visiting times. After a brief conversation, it was agreed we could go in; Mum was in a private room, so there was no grounds to prevent people from sitting with her in the first place. Archaic policies preventing loved ones seeing their families, are outdated practices that have no place in a modern hospital. This angers me; hospital administrators need to buck their ideas up and move with the times, not implement rules that have no meaning or justification. Other hospital wards allow visitors at any time, why this particular one doesn't is rather beyond my understanding; perhaps one of my readers could enlighten me as to the reasons why!

As soon as we saw Mum, we were all shocked at her disposition; had we not been allowed in we would have not known just how bad she was. Mum was being sick, her gown and sheets were soiled and and she seemed bewildered, dazed and upset. Mother was clearly in a distressed state, yet no one had done anything to help. This is an appalling way to treat people in the 21st century.

After sitting down and talking we realised she was in a terrible condition mentally, saying she didn't want to 'be here,' anymore and we would be better off without her. She hadn't eaten or had fluids and couldn't keep anything down, including her medication that she still had sitting in her hand, unable to swallow the pills. A nurse came into the room, where she took Mum's blood sugar levels, which were out of control at 27.9; at this rate Mum could quickly go into a coma.

I was finally able to give my Mother the medication she needed and did my best to wipe her face and hands, just to make her feel a little better. Her spectacles were covered in grime and dust and I cleaned them completely also, so she was able to see properly again. My Aunty, who is also a Nurse then started to ask questions, we all needed answers and the nurse promised to get a Doctor to talk to us as soon as she could. In the mean time we did our best to lift Mum's spirits.

It wasn't too long before a consultant arrived and finally somebody took notice of Mum's predicament. She was promptly put on a drip and within half an hour of our arrival, taken for a CT scan, all the things that should have happened before we vocally voiced our opinions, shouting loud enough. If we hadn't, Mum could well be in the same position today. I find it inconceivable, that a woman of my Mothers age and infirmity is left to suffer in the way she has, what a terrible state of affairs. As my Father said, 'she would have been better staying at Hospital in Southampton, where the standards of care are far superior to those in Portsmouth.'

It is beyond comprehension that patients are left to lay in their own vomit, given medication they can not take and not given the care they need. My Mother was covered in ulcers; she was essentially left in a bed, in the same posture, unable to move and most importantly not monitored. As someone spending long periods in bed, her position should have been changed regularly, every two hours; it wasn't! This resulted in open bed sores, painful and bleeding, unlike any my Father had ever seen; extremely dangerous given her condition. The long term effects of these open woulds, left unchecked, could have resulted in Mum's death, as any infection entered the bone.

Finally I looked around the room she was in, I was struck by the pills I found on the floor, pills she should have taken and clearly hadn't. As human beings, we treat animals better than we treat our own and that is a shameful. We were lucky, my Aunty spoke up and made sure Mum got what she needed, for anyone else the outcome may have been very different. The Health Service may well be a much loved institution, but there is no point having a national treasure if it isn't functioning as it should. Something needs to change, so patients no longer suffer the indignities of illness without the supervision and support they need to heal successfully. I will most certainly be putting in a formal complaint, as anyone should, left in similar circumstances!

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