Stays in hospital- very,very short in this country

My mother is in pain Scotland and has had exemplary care for the year she's been taking a bed. She was very unwell for a number of months and the hospital phoned regularly to keep me informed. Unfortunately she didn't set up poa so I'm having to apply for guardianship which has delayed her move to a nursing home.

In hospital* that should say

denbylover

nanna8

In the UK you get health visitors after a birth and access to a district nurse if I remember. We get nothing unless you pay to visit a GP and young mums often wouldn’t be able to afford $ 50 plus.

Nanna, I was surprised to read, despite our many similarities, that post natal care is different here over the ditch. Mums and their babies are despatched home way too early imo. often hours after giving birth. But, their midwife (and most seem to have one) does make home visits for several weeks afterwards, then the Plunket nurse takes over the mother and baby care - they see you in Clinic. Plunket invaluable for practical advice, weighing and health checks. GP available of course for sick babies.

I've never heard of a Plunket nurse and the obstetric care DD received was abysmal. It can still bring me to angry tears thinking about it.

If you’re elderly and have a breakages or operation and live alone you are entitled to free carers in your own home 3 times a day for 6 weeks if you need them longer you pay My friend has just had them and also so many items to help her in the home She felt fine after four weeks and told them she didn’t need them any more but I think it’s a great service

Booting people out of hospital very early has been going on for nearly 20 years! I was a member of a cancer advisory team and the first time I heard about it was a complaint via a breast cancer member. A friend of hers had a mastectomy and was really upset when told she would be discharged that afternoon. It was decided that she could stay overnight but some of the staff were really abrupt and rude, even refusing her pain meds, that she rang her husband at 2 am and asked him to pick her up, A senior administrator claimed it was following an American system to reduce infections. Poor woman had found a lump and been fast tracked for surgery within a week, then booted out so quickly after. Around this time MRSA became an issue plus mastectomy v lumpectomy.

When I got kept in for five days, after the first few days when everything was a blur, I did start to feel concerned as to why I was in for so long. I was constantly being wheeled off for scans and tests which, with hindsight was a great benefit, otherwise it would have taken months to get a diagnosis.

I had both of my children by caesarian - the first an emergency and the second planned as a result. I was in hospital for a week the first time, as both my son and I almost died and he needed special care at first, but I was discharged 3 days after having my daughter. I came home with a toddler and baby to look after, despite having had a major operation. That was 30 years ago.

Callistemon21

denbylover

nanna8

In the UK you get health visitors after a birth and access to a district nurse if I remember. We get nothing unless you pay to visit a GP and young mums often wouldn’t be able to afford $ 50 plus.

Nanna, I was surprised to read, despite our many similarities, that post natal care is different here over the ditch. Mums and their babies are despatched home way too early imo. often hours after giving birth. But, their midwife (and most seem to have one) does make home visits for several weeks afterwards, then the Plunket nurse takes over the mother and baby care - they see you in Clinic. Plunket invaluable for practical advice, weighing and health checks. GP available of course for sick babies.

I've never heard of a Plunket nurse and the obstetric care DD received was abysmal. It can still bring me to angry tears thinking about it.

I wonder Callistemom if your daughter is in Oz or in NZ. If NZ I’m very surprised she wasn’t made aware of Plunket and their role, they’re invaluable. If she is in NZ I’m sorry her experience was so worrying and upsetting.

I had both my children by emergency c section, 1969 and 1972.I was very ill (almost died) the first time, second one very dodgy as well.I was in hospital for 14 days afterwards,I can remember having one midwife visit at home then to or three health visitor visits afterwards.I had very little help from relatives but managed.
One of my grandchildren, a premature baby was born by emergency c section.Her mother was in for a week, baby kept in for 6 weeks.My two great grandchildren, both trouble free births , came home with their mother after a few hours,
My husband had open heart surgery in 2003, he was in for a week. Had to go back in a few days later as he had developed a serious complication
Friend of mine had a mastectomy a few months ago.She was discharged a few hours later, as she had a close relative who was able to stay with her. District nurse visited her daily.

denbylover

Callistemon21

denbylover

nanna8

In the UK you get health visitors after a birth and access to a district nurse if I remember. We get nothing unless you pay to visit a GP and young mums often wouldn’t be able to afford $ 50 plus.

Nanna, I was surprised to read, despite our many similarities, that post natal care is different here over the ditch. Mums and their babies are despatched home way too early imo. often hours after giving birth. But, their midwife (and most seem to have one) does make home visits for several weeks afterwards, then the Plunket nurse takes over the mother and baby care - they see you in Clinic. Plunket invaluable for practical advice, weighing and health checks. GP available of course for sick babies.

I've never heard of a Plunket nurse and the obstetric care DD received was abysmal. It can still bring me to angry tears thinking about it.

I wonder Callistemom if your daughter is in Oz or in NZ. If NZ I’m very surprised she wasn’t made aware of Plunket and their role, they’re invaluable. If she is in NZ I’m sorry her experience was so worrying and upsetting.

No, Australia, denbylover.
It was awful at the time.

What does a Plunket nurse do? I've never heard of them.

Being sent home quickly after a serious op can be risky. Twice I’ve had operation sites burst open I believe because of poor planned aftercare and recovery. One op site burst open and I had MRSA for 5 weeks after, a second op burst open when I was discharged 2 days after emerging from intensive care.

I had my children in 1971 and 1975. I was kept in a hospital for aweek for No 1 because I was an 'elderly prima gravida'. To be honest I was quite glad as I had a long and difficult labour, which it took me months to recover from. I was exhausted beyond beleif.

Second time round, I was booked for 6 hours, and ended up being there 10, and I, again was very happy with that. I had had No 2 like shelling peas and couldn't wait to get home and start practising being a mum of 2.

I think it is better to be out of bed and home asap, apart from danger of infection, staying in bed can cause embolisms. However I absolutely agree about very poor after care.

After DD's car accident, she had a huge skin transplant on her right arm, and a sore thigh where the skin came from.and for the first 10 days after discharge we had to get her properly dressed, into a car, with seat belt on every single day, , to take her back to hospital for wound dressing, despite the dangers of all this damaging her arm.

DH had a triple bypass followed by a near-fatal infection and was in hospital for over 8 weeks - this during COVID. After they came out all rehabilitation was by telephone and they just treated him as if he was hale and hearty 50 year old who was in and out of hospital in a week. They kept berating him for not sticking to the exercise plan and took no account of the lung damage and general debility and his age, 77, that meant he was physically too weak - he had lost 3 stone during 8 weeks in hospital.

M0nica

I had my children in 1971 and 1975. I was kept in a hospital for aweek for No 1 because I was an 'elderly prima gravida'. To be honest I was quite glad as I had a long and difficult labour, which it took me months to recover from. I was exhausted beyond beleif.

Second time round, I was booked for 6 hours, and ended up being there 10, and I, again was very happy with that. I had had No 2 like shelling peas and couldn't wait to get home and start practising being a mum of 2.

I think it is better to be out of bed and home asap, apart from danger of infection, staying in bed can cause embolisms. However I absolutely agree about very poor after care.

After DD's car accident, she had a huge skin transplant on her right arm, and a sore thigh where the skin came from.and for the first 10 days after discharge we had to get her properly dressed, into a car, with seat belt on every single day, , to take her back to hospital for wound dressing, despite the dangers of all this damaging her arm.

DH had a triple bypass followed by a near-fatal infection and was in hospital for over 8 weeks - this during COVID. After they came out all rehabilitation was by telephone and they just treated him as if he was hale and hearty 50 year old who was in and out of hospital in a week. They kept berating him for not sticking to the exercise plan and took no account of the lung damage and general debility and his age, 77, that meant he was physically too weak - he had lost 3 stone during 8 weeks in hospital.

MOnica

I think it is better to be out of bed and home asap, apart from danger of infection, staying in bed can cause embolisms. However I absolutely agree about very poor after care.

You are absolutely right there.

If you have family and / or a good support network, including after care, all well and good.

My OH who is almost completely disabled (he 'totters' around but cannot walk in any recognisable fashion) with complex medical conditions is cared for by me. And I am also partially disabled, housebound almost now, and with a complex medical history that has in the past caused frequent admissions to A&E.

He had a fall recently, from the top of the stairs to the bottom, and ended up in A&E only to be discharged in the early hours of the morning via a kindly taxi-driver who could do little more than dump him on the door-step and leave me to it.

The "after-care" consisted of a telephone conversation with our local GP surgery who asked me if I could pop him down to the medical centre later in the day.

Neither of us drive now. We have no family in the UK. Our sole support is a very good friend who will accommodate us, if she can, at a moment's notice... but she was away at the time.

So the after-care was a brief telephone conversation resulting in a prescription for an anti-biotic for an infection he didn't have - and the GP totally ignoring the fact that his blood-glucose levels had been sky-high for about a week... we self-fund for an electronic glucose meter reader and I read out all the readings to her. The high-glucose was probably the cause of his fall because it can cause light-headedness / dizziness, I suggested...

... but zilch, nothing, no recommendations. So I did the obvious and practical thing - made sure his diet was stricter than strict, and his blood-sugar readings gradually came down. And followed him around the house as I best I could to make sure he didn't fall when he moved from A to B. Which is totally exhausting when you are 82 with your own health problems and have sole responsibility for every aspect of that person's care, as well as your own. Not to mention the daily running of the house and all the admin.

... so much for 'after-care'.

Dickens You have my absolute sympathy - and that is all one can offer.

I was recently referred to A&E after a day of erratic heart beating. My mother had atrial fibrillarion, so I was worried. A&E sent a note to my GP for me to have 24 hour ECG monitoring. This was acknowledged and a week later I got a letter. It told me to go online and book an appointment. I went through the process to be told that the system was 'fully booked'. No indication what else I should do. I kept trying to rebooked until eventually the password I had been given expired. Now what do I do? I have had a letter giving me a cardiac appointment at the end of September!

Fortunately the symptoms have not reappeared, so I am just writing it off as an odd aberration, at a time when I was suffering a severe amount of stress.

M0nica

Dickens You have my absolute sympathy - and that is all one can offer.

I was recently referred to A&E after a day of erratic heart beating. My mother had atrial fibrillarion, so I was worried. A&E sent a note to my GP for me to have 24 hour ECG monitoring. This was acknowledged and a week later I got a letter. It told me to go online and book an appointment. I went through the process to be told that the system was 'fully booked'. No indication what else I should do. I kept trying to rebooked until eventually the password I had been given expired. Now what do I do? I have had a letter giving me a cardiac appointment at the end of September!

Fortunately the symptoms have not reappeared, so I am just writing it off as an odd aberration, at a time when I was suffering a severe amount of stress.

Oh MOnica - do not "write it off". Just because it hasn't happened since doesn't mean it won't again or that there is not an underlying problem.

I had something similar, and there was a problem - but not a serious one - however, you need to know.

In your situation, I would write a letter / note to the GP surgery, telling them what you have told us - and ask them "what should I do now, my password has expired and there are no other options".

I did this (wrote a letter) about a year ago when I came up against the brick wall over an issue (a brief, polite note, but to the point). The surgery responded immediately - your letter has to go 'on file' online and your 'complaint' is recorded.

Don't just leave it. If it happens again, you'll wish you'd followed through - especially if you discover that it's not serious.

My friend had a mastectomy last week and was discharged the same day. My ex-NHS midwife daughter said,’ She’s better off at home because the NHS is utter shit.’

Having a baby isn't an illness but it takes a lot out of you. I had my children early seventies. Got a week in hospital, time to recover Babies were taken to the nursery at night. My poor daughter was sent home after one day in 2010, deathly pale and having fainted in hospital.

I was lucky to have four babies at home.
Being in hospital for the first was one of the worst things I've lived through. Obviously my daughter was (and is) totally gorgeous but I wouldn't want to go in again.

Some of us want to be at home. (obviously not if you have problems)

I think it's risky being at home. And nowadays you're sent home very quickly anyway.

Luckily, nadateturbe, we have choices.

M0nica

Dickens You have my absolute sympathy - and that is all one can offer.

I was recently referred to A&E after a day of erratic heart beating. My mother had atrial fibrillarion, so I was worried. A&E sent a note to my GP for me to have 24 hour ECG monitoring. This was acknowledged and a week later I got a letter. It told me to go online and book an appointment. I went through the process to be told that the system was 'fully booked'. No indication what else I should do. I kept trying to rebooked until eventually the password I had been given expired. Now what do I do? I have had a letter giving me a cardiac appointment at the end of September!

Fortunately the symptoms have not reappeared, so I am just writing it off as an odd aberration, at a time when I was suffering a severe amount of stress.

I had a very similar experience MOnica, I needed to make a 'future' appointment but when I accessed the GP website, that booking facility had been temporarily suspended. I tried phoning the surgery but was 'number 45 in the call queue'.

In the end I became so frustrated I used the "comments & compliments" section on the same website. Within less than 30 minutes I received a call from the Practice Manager and my appointment was arranged.

It wasn't an emergency, I had no need to call 999 or 111, I simply needed to make an advance appointment yet their system wouldn't allow me to.

Do have a look on your GP website MOnica, you might just be able to get an appointment that way.......Good luck

I had an appointment within the hour a few weeks ago when I was ill with a serious chesty problem that was not shifting- but when I called last week to see if I could just have a new epipen it was a different matter.

I'd just trodden on a bumblebee and it had reminded me that my pen was out of date. I was told no, its not on the repeat system so I needed an appointment with a GP - no the prescribing nurse and clinical pharmacist couldn't help.

They gave me one for 6 weeks hence.
What a waste of a GPs time. I'm the same person, presumably will still react badly if stung (?). "What happens if I'm stung in the meantime" I asked... "call 999 or go to hospital" I was told.

I admit I've become rather blasé about my epipen over the years - but for the surgery to be so laissez-faire seems odd. I think in some cases common sense went out of the window when unmoving safety procedures were invented.

Astitchintime

Similar experience recently.

I tried the e-consult form.

... which is only available during surgery hours and has a limited number of submissions. Which means that when the quota is reached - you are timed out of it.

And expected to go through the whole process again the next day.

It is a very unfriendly way to try to book an appointment. You spend a lot of time answering useless and irrelevant questions, and the form does not allow you to quickly get to the point.

A deliberate barrier is being placed between the patient and the primary care. And that is one of the reasons why people are going to A&E when they, in desperation, cannot access it.

I now write very brief notes, getting straight to the point and ask a friend to take it down to the surgery, as I am housebound and need to make arrangements for transport to get there. They have responded and not complained. Yet.

... and no, I cannot just "pop" down to the surgery later in the day - because I have no transport. I need to make an appointment and arrange with my friend to take me to it. Which requires a bit of notice. But, this is now impossible.