Advise required on how to get treatment for my Wife.

[alan5044]

A little history first.

Wife diagnosed with Diverticulitus over 25 years ago she is now just coming up to age 65.

 

 

Had a really bad episode late December 2013.

 

 

Went to GP first day open in January 2014.

 

 

Saw Consultant at hospital jan 2014.

 

 

Had MRI scan,saw consultant who stated it was now Complicated Diverticulitus plus a Hernia and surgery was required.

 

 

Appointment with Surgeon who confirmed diagnosis and reffered wife to Stoma nurse.

 

 

27 Aug 2014 Sigmond Colostomy surgery by key hole was done ( This was past there own target of 18 weeks and took me ringing the surgeons secretary on a more than weekly basis to get anywhere.)

 

 

Wife came to after op and no stoma. Surgeon stated he had been able to remove part of the bowel and reconnect with the other part of the bowel. Great!!!!

 

 

We then had to wait till the 03Feb 2015 for the Hernia op this took even more chasing and it is quite soul destroying to see your wife in agony and myself having to push the hernia back into the abdomen.

 

 

After the hernia op we thought great job done however my wife remained in pain which we put down to the hernia op as it had become so large and we in our naivety thought the area was taking a long time to recover.

 

 

Last wednesday my wife collapsed with intense Bowel pain and I had to get an ambulance for her she was admitted had chest and abdomen x-rays and eventual an MRI the diagnosis is complicated diverticulitis and another hernia higher up in the bowel which would require more surgery and a stoma bag fitting.

 

 

My wife was asked when her colostomy had been done as there is no Disc or notes on the op in her file.

also told that not all of her diseased bowel had been removed. She was treated with morpine and intravenous anti-biotics we were told they would not operate at this time because of the infection and inflammation. She is at home now but hardly dares to eat anything and we are back where we were two years ago through no fault of our own.

 

 

No doubt we start the merry go round again, do they now have another 18 weeks to fob us off too which they cannot keep to anyway.

 

 

Why were we not told that the original op left a problem still in existence. That would have enabled us to at least go back to the Gp or hospital with the problem .

 

 

Follow up appointments after surgery are a thing of the past all they are interested in is discharging you.

[nolegion]

Alan. I don't like to see any serious post in this forum - let alone one addressing the very serious and miserable circumstances you describe - go unacknowledged. Sincere commiserations on what seems to me utterly disastrous failures of both treatment and communication by the NHS for your wife.

 

I wish I could add more practical suggestions than mere moral support.

 

There may be other contributors to this forum who can provide some more medically-informed commentary in due course.

 

In the meantime, please may I most earnestly suggest you keep very careful notes of every single contact\encounter\telephone conversation with ANY NHS person involved in the process – precise dates\times \names carefully included. As you may note, from another thread here, I believe that audio-recording is also very often appropriate. Be that as it may, you need an armoury of indisputable facts to bolster both your current endeavours to secure proper care, and to maintain a complaint at a later stage.

 

Some people say go the "PALS" ( patient liaison service) which your hospital must have by law. Frankly, I have found PALS is usually as useful as a chocolate teapot, but there is actually no harm in reporting the situation to them while there is an ongoing need to obtain the proper care to which you are entitled. Just don't believe that their sympathetic words will necessarily translate into meaningful action.

 

I do hope this situation improves, and soon, for you and your wife. Please keep us informed.

[reallymadwoman]

I have found my GP to be very helpful in pushing the hospital/consultant to get their act together.

Also, make sure you and your wife are BOTH getting all the help and assistance you may be entitled to whilst you wait - as her carer, you have needs as well.