Being an observer in a hospital

I was reminded of this article by Nathan Filer, who is an ex-psychiatric nurse. It reflects how things are on several wards for the frail elderly and mentally ill at NMGH.

www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/25/nathan-filer-mental-health-care-where-did-it-go-wrong

When complaining about a public body or service it is always worth sending a copy of your letter to your MP. They will in turn contact the public body and say they have had this information and ask to be kept informed. It does increase the pressure on those receiving the complaint. (I know, I've been on the receiving end).
Not worth complaining to a minister as one of their minions will just refer back to the MP.

Try this form/complaints procedure.

www.pat.nhs.uk/Contact-Us/Complaints/Making-a-complaint.php

Executive Directors are jumping through hoops at present - copy everything to one of them and MP. Good luck.

Thank you rojon.

But if you scroll down you will find the PALS number anyway

Sorry wrong form.

North Manchester Hospital complaints procedure

Graham Stringer is the MP for that constituency, rojon. Worth writing to him, too.

rojon you will be listened to if you complain. North Manchester Hospital is under intense scrutiny for their appalling treatment of patients on certain wards, especially the elderly and mentally ill. There have been several coroner's enquiries in the last year, and at the most recent one 6 NHS and agency staff were referred to the Medical Council with a recommendation they be struck off. The culture of ignoring patients' needs is a major issue there.

Good to name.

North Manchester General Hospital shame on you

Pogs North Manchester General Hospital and yes I will be taking it further.

I complained after similar treatment to my father last year. They set up an enquiry and changed practices as a result. So it is worth doing. Admittedly I am now not there to see how these changes are being put into practice, so I can only hope.

When I had my fall, I could not fault the paramedics - they were sympathetic and efficient - and I had 2.5 hours lying on cold stone steps to get to know their care! The ambulance could not get through, as we were on the side of a river with a narrow footpath and a rock fall, and I could not be ferried to the other side because every time they moved me I fainted.

But the story was different when I got to hospital. First of all they suggested I go and sit in the waiting room rather than lying on the trolley I had been wheeled in on. The paramedic chipped in and said this was not a good idea as my BP was so low I could not sit up, which they already knew. At no point in the whole proceedings there did I see a doctor - it was all dealt with by nurses - hence the misdiagnosis that has left me in the pickle I am in.

On the whole I think I get good service from GP and paramedics, but hospital care is falling down the drain. One of the reasons I turned down my surgery was because I had had such bad experiences of inpatient care in the past that I could not face it again.

Hear, hear to teaching nurses to nurse rather than making them take degrees and write essays.

Galen I can't think of a more inappropriate ward for you, that is disgraceful. Did you let anyone know your employment history? Sorry to use this word but I am 'gobsmacked' by your treatment. You must keep complaining!

When I joined the NHS management overheads were less than 8%. When I left the NHS they were 18%. And that was 15 years ago. Heaven knows what they are now.
Train nurses to nurse rather than write thesis, train Doctors to be doctors rather than sit in endless meetings. Get rid of needless number crunchers and form fillers and you might improve the service. The constant battle between quality and budget constraints is what is strangling the NHS.

The government cuts are only half implemented. We should be braced for 9% cut of the NHS budget over the next few years. This is an astounding amount. I am unconvinced that farming out parts of the NHS England is going to achieve this.We should be braced and start putting on the pressure or nursing care is going to be further cut.

Rojon

Which hospital were you at???

WE ARE ALL BEHIND YOU TOO

WLIIL DO! Am doing my MP is behind me!

rojon and Galen if people like you speak up then you're doing the rest of us a service. People on the wards who are doing their jobs well have nothing to fear and when systems or people are inadequate, incompetent or overworked then a complaint may well reveal that.
So thanks Galen and yes, rojon, you kick up a stink and I'll thank you too.

Agreed! That's what I'm going to do!
I ended up having to spend three nights on the senile dementia ward of a local private nursing home, at a cost to me of £400!
I am still fizzing about it!

Complain, again and again and again until they will do anything to get you off their backs.

You must complain. Only by bringing this type of deplorable treatment out in the open can we hope to change things for the better.

I was vomiting non stop, dehydrated, not passing urine, which I pointed out to the consultant, who replied' well you haven't been drinking!'
I'm sure this contributed to the fact that I was unable to rid my system of the morphine and fentanyl. Thus contributing to my inability to stand unsupported!
I had a line in, so attaching a bag of fluid was not a problem!

I ended up on a drip after I had an emergency operation for a strangulated hernia four years ago. I was very sick after the op but once I started to feel better I had to practically beg for a cup of tea. I had also had nothing to eat for two days. They started to get a bit worried when my blood pressure plummeted so I had to stay in for two extra days while they got my BP back on track. As soon as I could I discharged myself.