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GP+hospital appalling treatment of My mother 76 with pneumonia ...sent home still ill!


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My elderly mum 76 was very ill so

 

I made an emergency GP appointment for my mother.

 

I suspected she had pneumonia

she was finding it difficult to breath,

had immense aches and pains she

was vomiting throughout the day.

 

She was unable to stand up herself and was on the verge on collapsing.

She had visibly got worse and worse as the day professed.

 

Me and my brother struggled to get our mother into the car to get to the GP.

My mother was in immense pain it was terrible.

She was made to wait in the GP's waiting area for at least 20mins in great pain

and her lungs were tightening up and restricted her breathing

(no body from the GP's office took any notice of the state my mum was in).

 

We were repeatedly told 'your will be next soon'...we struggled to get our mother to get up off her chair

she had to be supported by me and my brother on each side getting her out of the house

and into the car and from the GP car park inside the surgery.

 

Eventually it was our turn and

me and my brother held our elderly mother on each side

and struggled to gather off the chair

and to walk the distance along the corridor into the GP's room.

 

Once inside the GP room..

.the GP just looked with a blank expression at my mum.

..my mother was struggling to breath and tell him she was struggling to breath

and had a terrible burning sensation in her chest and terrible pain in her head as well as chest.

 

Then GP checked my mums temp and heart rate and said my mums heart rate was a little high.

The GP told my mum 'I'll give you antibiotics and go home and rest you should be ok..

.the antibiotics will take 24hrs to start working and if she gets worse you can call the ambulance'

 

I turned around and said I think my mums got pnemonia and he said 'what makes you say that?'.

..I replied 'She's 76 she's been coughing for last 4 weeks but

today she is on verge of collapsing finding it hard to breath..'

 

then the DR used the stethoscope to check my mums lung and said

'She's got Pneumonia in the right lung'

 

'I suggest she goes home takes her antibiotics and rests'...I replied 'no I want her to go to hospital look at her state...'

 

The GP gave us a letter and told us to go to the hospital with the letter to the 'Medical Assessment Unit 4'..

. I asked the GP can you please call the ambulance

the GP turned around and said to me

'the ambulance I just like a taxi all they will do is take her to the hospital...you can take her in your car'

 

I was left gobsmacked at his response...we struggled to get our mum out of the surgery not the car.

 

At the hospital I went to main reception whilst the car was parked outside the main reception to the reception.

There were 4 porters sat behind reception and I asked 'I need a wheel chair fort elderly mum, she's got pneumonia'

 

The porter turned around (with 3 other porters sat around him) and told me

'go find the wheelchair yourself we have to do the same as you and look for a wheel chair.

..go find one somewhere in the hospital'

 

I replied 'its your job to find a wheelchair, there's 4 of you sat in reception your porters'

he looked at me and then instructed one if the porters to find a wheel chair.

 

I needed the wheel chair to get my mum into the hospital from the car park.

I turned around and saw my brother bringing in my mum into the reception,

just as the porter was bro moving the wheel chair'

 

We then went to the medical assessment 4

gave paperwork to a girl behind the counter who to is to wait in the ward on a chair instead of a bed.

As 'no beds were available'

 

we waited close to 2hrs my mum was in agony day on the chair.

I went back to medical unit assessment reception

told them my mums in agony with pneumonia she needs a bed asap.

I was told again to wait.

 

I saw a consultant walking towards me and told him 'my mums 76 she needs a bed asap'.

He replied 'I'll go speak to someone for you'

 

Eventually a health care worker came over snd said 'your GP sent you to the wrong ward.

..he should have sent you to ward 3 which is for elderly people'.

 

I told my superior to send your mum to A&E and she over rode my decision,

we are sending your mum to another ward and will find a bed for her'

 

She got a wheelchair and took my mum to the other ward.

..where she was eventually a consultant came

examined her too

 

her blood pressure, heart rate and bloods and examined her chest.

..she said your mums got pneumonia I'll get her onto a bed asap.

Eventually my mum was placed on the bed still in agony with her burning chest and difficulty in breathing,

 

later she was placed on a drip for fluids as she look pale and very dehydrated.

 

The next day I was told they had also given her antibiotics and the oxygen mask to loosen her lungs.

 

I was told the bloods would be sent and looked at and a chest X-ray would be done the same night

to determine what damaged if any happened to the lungs etc and the course of treatment.

 

The next day I rang the hospital to enquire about my ma and was told 'she has a virul infection'

 

when I got to the hospital the healthcare nurse dealing with my mum said 'it's not pneumonia but a viral infection..

.' I replied 'Our GP confirmed it as pneumonia'

She replied 'it's a viral infection like people get it's common...'

She said said we are waiting for her xrays which have been taken this morning (I was told the xrays would be taken last night!)

She tells me 'your mums asking to go home, she's been walking independent...she'll be home today'

 

I went to my mum and told her this is what the nurse is saying

my mom said 'I never said I want to go home, why they sending me home I'm in agony.

The nurse helped me get out of bed and helped me to the toilet'

 

This healthcare worker kept denying my mum had pneumonia and it was just s viral infection.

The way she came across was that she wanted my mom of of bed

even though she was unconscious and in pain on the bed with pneumonia.

They put the oxygen mask on her face again.

 

Later in the evening I went back and the same healthcare nurse told me

'she's going home she had no pneumonia she's needs rest and to take her medicine at home.

 

We asked for a wheel chair as my mom was not strong enough to walk

...the ward had become empty of healthcare workers who had disappeared too

 

I asked a consultant who was passing through we need a wheelchair as my mum is being discharged.

He rang the porters downstairs to ask for a wheel chair to be brought up.

 

We waited 20 mins and nothing do I faked a nurse on the ward I need a wheelchair,

she told me 'go to reception and find one yourself'

I waited close to 30 mins and nothing do I faked another nurse who asked another nurse.

My mom was sat on the bed still in agony.

 

.. I went down to reception and the told the guy at reception

'I've been waiting for a wheelchair for over 40 mins'.

He just looks at me and goes 'there's one behind you use that'

 

I took the wheelchair to the ward gotynmum into it and took her home,

 

The discharge letter confirms my mum has 'community related pneumonia'

and the xrays showed some damaged or cackles in the lungs etc

- complete opposite to what the healthcare assistant who was keen on my mum to leave kept sAying 'it's just a viral infection'

 

My mum is 76 with pneumonia she's been sent home with

medicines and antibiotics.

She's ill and should never have been sent home until the pneumonia was cleared.

 

What can I do to get justice with the horrendous way my mum has been treated

and what action against the GP can I take and against the hospital?

 

My mums health is important and I want justice even if it means taking the legal route

and going to solicitors who deal in medical cases like these?

 

Now everyone on the household is ill and coughing

- my elderly father is coughing very badly and wheezing sometimes.

 

The hospital and GP are to blame, why was my mum discharged if she at 76 still has pneumonia?

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That certainly sounds to me like absolutely appalling treatment from start to finish, layla

 

Every sympathy & I wish your mother a speedy recovery. People who know more than me about the correct medical response to the symptoms you describe will no doubt come along shortly. In the meantime, keep on making detailed notes of names and places and who says what when - and, I would say, if you can, take and keep an audio recording of every interaction with the NHS from this point on.

 

i hope you will keep the forum posted on developments.

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The sent my mum home even though she is 76 and has pneumonia (because they wanted to free up the bed I think)

 

I have the babe if the healthcare worker who signed the discharge papers who kept on telling us 'it's just a normal viral infection and not pneumonia!....when it's clearly stated it's 'pneumonia' on the discharge papers!

 

I don't have any audio recordings because I was just too emotional and distressed to see myum in this condition... I only remember the name of the other healthcare who said our Zgp had sent us to the wrong word where we waited for over 2 hrs without being seen...they put my mother on a chair for over 2 hrs she was in agony.

 

Please can those experienced with this situation please give me advice on what steps I need to take to get justice.

 

If I complain to the hospital it's a culture of 'protect each other's backs' they so t admit any wrong doing.

 

And as for my own GP and his awful way he handled this what action can be taken against him?

 

My brother is a witness with what happened at the GP surgery and at the hospital.

 

He practice manager at the surgery will stand by the GP I guess?

 

I want a good solicitor to handle this for me...my priority is my mums health and is she back home if she has pneumonia and is 76, how cruel can the hospital be

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I am also totally appalled by the way your Mum was treated. It's an absolutely horrendous experience from the GP to the Hospital!

 

I am so sorry for you all, esp your Mum for having to go through all the above!

 

Whilst I can't help you with specifics, I too would suggest you write the whole appalling experience down. Stating exact details of what happened, with whom & where. Also keep a copy off all paperwork you hold.

 

Other CAGgers with more experience in these matters will be along, over the course of the weekend.

 

I do hope that you are able to bring those involved in this appalling affair to answer for their actions!! (well lack off them).

 

Wishing your Mum gets well soon...

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every single minute of it!!

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You MUST get a report into the hospital ASAP, I know you keep talking about getting a solicitor to get 'justice' but that is far too commonly thought of as a solution - all it does is take money AWAY from an already overburdened, overstretched place trying to deal with poor quality GP care.

 

Firstly COMPLAIN COMPLAN COMPLAIN via the GP practice, the Hospital PALS service (you will NOT get any 'justice' from a solicitor without having followed this course FIRST even though you think it is pointless.

 

When you complain copy in your local MP, that way the GP practice and the local hospital are less likely to 'brush away' your complaint.

 

I can't help any further but this is the way forward, immediate 'justice' via a solicitor will cost you heavily in the long run and delay any improvement action from taking place.

 

GP surgeries actually DON'T always side with the GP, I've had a locum junior doctor stopped from becoming a GP by complaining through the proper channels before now - and that was only because he wanted to prescribe me statins which I did not need (I have a very low risk factor for the prescribing criteria - below 10%!). I went to see him for something far more serious (three collapsed vertabrae in my neck.

 

I know she is your mum, but you do have to try and be objective about this - you want the right treatment for her at the right time - that is the 'justice' of the matter, not going for the short term financial gain you would get from taking money AWAY from a system which is trying to cover far too many things it should not.

 

I work in the NHS which is why I can't help further - all I can do is tell you the CORRECT process and hope you follow it through BEFORE wasting time and effort with a 'justice' system that has only one aim in mind 'financial gain for themselves'. Yes, they say NO WIN NO FEE but think seriously about what happens if you DO win, at least 35% of the money will go on fees.

 

Also if you are on benefits and get a sizeable win it will wipe those out, plus affect any council tax, rent and other benefits your mother may be getting, AND the pension credits will go down dramatically. Remember the single capital limit is quite low, so any £250 above that limit and you will loose £1.00 in ANY benefit.

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sillygirl1, can you help me come up with a draft email which I can send to both

the GP practice and to the hospital, I've no experience in how to draft up a company in a logical order that cover all the points.

 

The email to the GP does thst get sent to the practice manager and also copy in the local MP?

 

What about the hospital email ?

 

No bothered about any financial gai just want the GP and hospital to realise they are in the wrong

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Sorry, as I said, I can't really help much further.

 

Go to the hospital website and there should be a link to the PALS service, and an information leaflet on How to Complain.

 

I can't draft a letter for you as it needs to be in your own words, basically start from the beginning when your mother was first ill, then write down the sequence of events as you have done here, and explain what you want for the Outcome - ie your mother to have the correct treatment for her current condition.

 

1. Send a copy (by email if they accept it) to the GP Practice Manager copying in your local MP, AND the Hospital

 

2. for the Hospital one copy in the GP Practice Manager and your local MP

 

do these two sequences each time you write to the particular organisation

 

Print out each letter/email and keep a copy IN DATE ORDER in a file, along with the replies to any emails (including the 'we acknowledge the recepit and will deal with it in xxx time) and keep them in date order in a file. Split the file in two, one section for the hospital and one section for the GP.

 

Do a 'cover sheet' and write on it in this way (this will also help should you need to involve a solicitor, they will realise that you are organised, methodical and will be less likely to 'take advantage')

 

Cover sheet should look like this

 

1. Name, address and birthdate of your mother, her hospital number, NHS number (these will be on the letters) and start date of illness

2. Write down the date and time of each visit to GP or Hospital in order, and the name of the person seen - NO need to write anything else as this will be in the letters

3. Write down the date and time you wrote to each department - have two columns for this, one for date letter sent and to where (again no other detail, it will be in the copies), and then a date for the reply.

 

If all the organisations involved see you 'mean business and are organised' they will be less likely to mess you around.

 

Try to be objective about the incidents and try not to keep saying 'you want justice', what you want is an 'expected outcome' that all people in your mothers situation are treated swiftly and that no delay in prescribing the correct treatment is 'built into' the system at any given time.

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It will be very difficult for anyone to help you draft a complaint because they have not experienced the situation - you have.

 

sillygirl has given you some pointers, if you would like to draft something, then we can help you fine tune it and take out any of the emotional content. That will not help you one bit.

 

There is some useful information on how to make a complaint in the link below.

 

http://www.nhs.uk/choiceintheNHS/Rightsandpledges/complaints/Pages/NHScomplaints.aspx

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You need to think carefully about what happened before you take the next step. There are few things that I believe have been exaggerated.

Your GP will 'NOT' know if she had pneumonia as you can't make a diagnosis of this sort with a stethoscope.

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You can make a diagnosis (by percussion - tapping, and auscultation - stethoscope) of there being "something solid" there instead of "air in lungs". That might be a large cancer, a bleed, fluid (an effusion), or infection (empyema or pneumonia). Which one it is may well need a chest X-Ray to help distinguish, but as far as a GP can go by clinical examination : if the history fits with infection / pneumonia, it is reasonable, as a GP, to say "it's pneumonia" and treat for that first, if they aren't I'll enough to warrant hospital admission.

 

OP : As for the hospital: it would be unusual to make a diagnosis of "community related pneumonia": it is usually "community acquired pneumonia" ("CAP"), 'acquired', not 'related'.

 

Any patient admitted with a CAP should be assessed for severity by the CURB-65 scoring system:

Presence of Confusion,

Raised plasma urea

Increased respiratory rate

Lowered blood pressure and

Age 65+?

 

This gives a score 0-5. It is a "blunt tool" (an elderly person, usually confused, scores 2 even if their confusion isn't due to pneumonia!), which is why it should be used only for CAP's, but the CURB score can help identify who needs admission and how aggressive their initial antibiotic treatment should be.

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I GP said it was pneumonia in the lung, but he wanted to send my home, i insisted my mum go to the hospital

 

You need to think carefully about what happened before you take the next step. There are few things that I believe have been exaggerated.

Your GP will 'NOT' know if she had pneumonia as you can't make a diagnosis of this sort with a stethoscope.

 

i'll spend the next day or 2 drafting up a letter to the GP, which I can then post on here, so you lovely guys can help fine tune :)

I'll also do the same for the letter to the hospital

 

Sorry, as I said, I can't really help much further.

 

Go to the hospital website and there should be a link to the PALS service, and an information leaflet on How to Complain.

 

I can't draft a letter for you as it needs to be in your own words, basically start from the beginning when your mother was first ill, then write down the sequence of events as you have done here, and explain what you want for the Outcome - ie your mother to have the correct treatment for her current condition.

 

1. Send a copy (by email if they accept it) to the GP Practice Manager copying in your local MP, AND the Hospital

 

2. for the Hospital one copy in the GP Practice Manager and your local MP

 

do these two sequences each time you write to the particular organisation

 

Print out each letter/email and keep a copy IN DATE ORDER in a file, along with the replies to any emails (including the 'we acknowledge the recepit and will deal with it in xxx time) and keep them in date order in a file. Split the file in two, one section for the hospital and one section for the GP.

 

Do a 'cover sheet' and write on it in this way (this will also help should you need to involve a solicitor, they will realise that you are organised, methodical and will be less likely to 'take advantage')

 

Cover sheet should look like this

 

1. Name, address and birthdate of your mother, her hospital number, NHS number (these will be on the letters) and start date of illness

2. Write down the date and time of each visit to GP or Hospital in order, and the name of the person seen - NO need to write anything else as this will be in the letters

3. Write down the date and time you wrote to each department - have two columns for this, one for date letter sent and to where (again no other detail, it will be in the copies), and then a date for the reply.

 

If all the organisations involved see you 'mean business and are organised' they will be less likely to mess you around.

 

Try to be objective about the incidents and try not to keep saying 'you want justice', what you want is an 'expected outcome' that all people in your mothers situation are treated swiftly and that no delay in prescribing the correct treatment is 'built into' the system at any given time.

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I GP said it was pneumonia in the lung, but he wanted to send my home, i insisted my mum go to the hospital

 

 

You ring the ambulance if there's a next time, don't rely on the Dr.

 

You can make a diagnosis (by percussion - tapping, and auscultation - stethoscope) of there being "something solid" there instead of "air in lungs". That might be a large cancer, a bleed, fluid (an effusion), or infection

 

 

You can make a good guess, the more experienced the closer that diagnosis might be, but not a definite diagnosos.

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You can make a good guess, the more experienced the closer that diagnosis might be, but not a definite diagnosos.

 

Does it matter (to the GP, and to what they do) if they make "a definite diagnosis"?

I think not, I think it matters that they "do the right thing" rather than "get the right name".

 

The GP can't confirm their working diagnosis of pneumonia without a chest X-ray or admitting the patient.

So, they either have to send the patient for a chest X-Ray as an outpatient or have them admitted.

They probably would do so if they practiced defensive medicine, but where GP's excel (over hospital Dr's who will often rely more on tests) is in making that judgement call....

 

If the GP is happy it is appropriate & safe to do so, and the patient can be safely treated at home, they'll make a presumptive diagnosis of pneumonia, and start treatment with oral antibiotics. No chest X-Ray, no hospital. They'll tell the patient to come back / make contact again if they are getting worse.

This way, not every patient gets sent in : if they sent every patient with pneumonia in the system (already stretched!) would grind to a halt. This is one of the GP's roles : as a "gatekeeper" to hospital admission.

 

If the GP doesn't feel it is safe to do this, they'll send them in, or if they aren't settling as expected.

 

Sure, there isn't a definite diagnosis (X-Ray confirmed and all) for the ones who get better and avoid hospital admission, but it depends on what your priorities are:

1) Appropriate management and settling for only a presumed rather than definite diagnosis for the ones who don't need admission, or

2) "Send them all in!", where they all get sent to hospital, and all get Chest X-rays..... Whether they are needed or not to be managed, rather than "needed to get a conclusive diagnosis".

 

The GP's are there to help stick to the first (who cares on getting a (chest X-Ray) CXR confirmation if they are well enough to get confirmation by their response to treatment),

If they don't respond to treatment, then they can send them in so that eg CXR to establish

A) is the diagnosis CAP, and if so do they need a change in treatment (higher dose antibiotics, or different ones) or

B) is the diagnosis something else.

 

The GP won't have the luxury of blood tests and CXR's for all.

Part of their role is deciding who needs those tests or to be admitted (send them in) and who can be managed (at least initially) without, in the community.

 

As for "ignore what the GP has said, ring the ambulance yourself" : if someone is going to do that anyway, why bother with the GP?

It negates the use of the GP's experience, and if you are going to call an ambulance anyway, call an ambulance, and leave the GP's slot open for someone else who can make use of the GP, rather than using the GP's slot when the outcome ("we'll call an ambulance") is already determined.

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ive just been informed by my mum that

 

1. In the following morning my mum asked the nurses to help take her to the toiletcubicle as she was not strong enough to walk alone herself...the nurse(s) present at the time told my mum (who does not speak english) to go herself. My mum told me (today) she struggled to even get off the bed and felt like she could collapse trying to get off the bed and walk to the toilet cubicle. The nurses watched her struggle (I think they were expecting her to collapse onto the floor)

 

2. Whilst in the toilet cubicle...having not given assistance or support to walk to the toilet cubicle...she felt dizzy and hit her head on something near the toilet. It took a a few mins to get back up (no nurses even came to check on her why she was in the cubicle so long)

 

She never told this at the hospital because I was already worried about her and she was in a daze nearly all the time whilst there

 

So what can this be added to the complain to the hospital?

 

1. Why when she asked for help to take her to the toilet cubicle, was help refused - she was not strong enough to walk (because she could not speak english i feel the nurse(s) took advantage of this and ordered her) - they would have helped others but not her

 

2. why did the nurse(s) present watch her struggle, when she was not strong enough to walk to the toilet cubicle and why did no nurse(s) check on her after she had not returned for over 10 mins? - she could have collapsed and nobody would have known the wiser

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I'm sorry Layla but I don't believe that at all as I don't believe you were told 'go find one yourself' by the reception when looking for a chair. If that really is the case, then it could be a misunderstanding as you say your mother don't speak English, (why doesn't she speak English ?)

 

 

As well as writing a very strong letter to the hospital manager, send one to your MP and get in touch with PALS, every hospital has one. They will liaise between you and the hospital and tell what you should do.

 

 

There is a buzzer in the toilet if a patient has difficulty.

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The 'go find a wheelchair yourself' was said to me by one of the porters, when I requested a wheelchair (they were several casually sat behind the reception area), it was not said to my mum but to me...she was waiting in the car outside for the wheel chair

 

The next morning is when my mother motioned for a nurse(s) and maybe attempted to ask in her limited english for a nurse to help me get off the bed and assist her to go to the toilet cubicle (the nurse(s) told my mum to get off the bed herself and go to the toilet cubicle, where she banged her head on something (what is something worse had happend, then what, the nurses wouldnt even have even checked judging by their disgraceful behaviour and lack of compassion towards my mum)

 

after banging my head my mother felt dazed and confused and lucky she did not collapse in the toilet cubicle

 

I'm drafting up a letter now, which I will post on here, but I need all your help and assistance to make sure its strongly worded please, thank you

 

I really appreciate your help

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If your mother doesn't speak English as her first language are the hospital aware of this - if so they would likely have an interpreter or a nurse who speaks her language - many nurses are not native English speakers these days so finding somebody wouldn't be that difficult.

 

It should also be written on her notes, and I believe a lot of hospitals would have a sticker on there saying they don't speak English.

 

All hospitals have buzzer systems in the toilet cubicles and these are very easy to activate - I've accidentally activated.

 

It sounds like you are clutching at straws sometimes finding fault with the system as a whole when the basic fact was your mother should have been taken to hospital first and not gone to the GP.

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I had made the ward aware my mother doesn't speak English as her first language, as for this being on her notes I do not now, but I made them aware of this.

 

I'm still very upset at how my mum has been treated, I need to take my emotions out of this and try to be calm about this, I will do it with your help :)

 

I'm drafting up a letter for the hospital which I will post on here so you can help me with it, thank you

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Layla, your letter doesn't need to be a masterpiece. In fact, the more straightforward it is the better. Even copying and pasting your first post would suffice, if I get a complaint letter through the last thing I worry about is how well it's written.

 

I'll try to address a couple of your points on here from a Practice Manager's point of view in relation to your concerns over your mum's treatment in the GP surgery, Bazza has perfectly outlined the clinical aspects above. So I'll concentrate on the administrative side of things.

 

Being asked to wait in reception until a doctor is available is perfectly reasonable. If a GP was dealing with your mum and then dashed out to see another patient I'd imagine that you wouldn't be impressed. So, it's only fair that people are dealt with properly, the only exception here being if the distress alarm were to sound at which point all practice staff would descend on a room carrying defibs, oxygen cylinders and crash bags.

 

A GP surgery isn't an acute setting like accident and emergency - emergency appointments are still appointments with a GP, who as Bazza explained is limited in what he or she can do in dealing with a patient.

 

Asking for an Ambulance: the GP was I'm afraid quite justified in what they said. Ambulances are for life and death emergencies, unless of course you call them for patient transport - in which case, dependant upon how busy they are might take several hours to arrive. Surely it's better to have the patient go straight to hospital in the car they arrived in than have them sitting in the GP surgery for 6 hours on a plastic chair. So often we hear of how relatives ask for ambulance transfer, wait for hours for the patient to be picked up and then follow behind the ambulance in their car, or better still take the patient home to collect their belongings and wait for the ambulance to arrive. It's an absolute waste of resources.

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My views are my own and are not representative of any organisation. if you've found my post helpful please click on the star below.

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The 'go find a wheelchair yourself' was said to me by one of the porters, when I requested a wheelchair (they were several casually sat behind the reception area), it was not said to my mum but to me...she was waiting in the car outside for the wheel chair

 

The next morning is when my mother motioned for a nurse(s) and maybe attempted to ask in her limited english for a nurse to help me get off the bed and assist her to go to the toilet cubicle (the nurse(s) told my mum to get off the bed herself and go to the toilet cubicle, where she banged her head on something (what is something worse had happend, then what, the nurses wouldnt even have even checked judging by their disgraceful behaviour and lack of compassion towards my mum)

 

after banging my head my mother felt dazed and confused and lucky she did not collapse in the toilet cubicle

 

I'm drafting up a letter now, which I will post on here, but I need all your help and assistance to make sure its strongly worded please, thank you

 

I really appreciate your help

 

This is all pure conjecture and hearsay from a woman who can't speak English.

 

What are you hoping will be the outcome ??

 

I'm still finding it very hard to believe any of this. I've had that illness and yes very painful, but being 76 and coughing doesn't mean she has pneumonia.

 

Has her illness been diagnosed by the hospital yet ??

Edited by Conniff
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Conniff, the GP at the surgery diagnosed my mother with Pneumonia, the consultant at the hospital diagnosed my mother with pneumonia - pneumonia is dangerous for anyone especially for the elderly.

 

My mother was placed at the bottom of list despite ward staff being aware of this.

 

A staff ward nurse kept telling 'it's just a normal virus' - pneumonia is not a 'normal virus'

]

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A doctor at a GP surgery does not make the diagnosis when hospital is in the picture, he gives his suspicion and the hospital makes the diagnosis.

You said in your initial post that it was you who said she had pneumonia not the doctor, unless your are medically trained I don't know why your would say such a thing.

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It's completely understandable that you were so very concerned for your mother's health. I think what also needs to be understood is that someone's position on the list of who gets treated first or who gets a bed first isn't based on the level of concern demonstrated by relatives but on clinical need in relation to the other patients present at the time. If you somehow perceived that your mum was at the bottom of such a list then it's absolutely certain that those who went before did so because, however difficult it might be to accept, they needed to and deserved to based on the severity of their condition.

My views are my own and are not representative of any organisation. if you've found my post helpful please click on the star below.

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Only after repeated requests for someone to see my mum and almost 3hours having passed a nurse came over told us she was sorry my mum had been placed at the bottom of the list and based on her age and her having pneumonia she would should have been high priority.

 

She was helpful and managed to get a bed, she said of all

the patients waiting my mother was the most severe and she couldn't understand why she had been placed at the bottom of the list in the ward.

 

This was not A&E but a medical assessment we had been sent to.

 

I'm going to focus on writing the draft now :)

 

NHS are playing with people's lives

Edited by Purpleflowers 2
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