A view from the hospital we went to.
How often do we hear the refrain that we tend to take things for granted? Probably not as often as we should be told or remind ourselves. Such is the case with Britain's NHS, or National Health Service, which, probably like other such health services around the world, has been reeling from the effects of increasing costs, staff shortages, excessive working hours and, it would seem, decreasing quality of service. This is not, of course, to say all NHS trusts are providing poorer services, but it is probably accurate to say that people's expectation of the quality of service they want/need is not keeping pace with that which many or most of them are receiving.Fortunately or unfortunately, you are only likely to become more aware of the problem when you need to call on the service, as we have had to recently.
With our relative appearing confused and uncharacteristically compliant, we felt it was appropriate for us to dial 999 and get the paramedics to come and see her. This we did, and in a short space of time the Ambulance arrived and the two paramedics parked it at the side of the narrow street, and left it with its blue lights flashing, as they entered the house and immediately set about obtaining relevant details from us and our relative. At the same time they began to 'wire up' our relative to get information about her vital signs.
Having tested for his vital signs and determining that her blood sugar level and blood pressure were fine, the paramedic decided to take her to Accident and Emergency Unit of the local Hospital, so that more checks, such as on her blood sample, in case she was suffering from an infection, which was causing her state of confusion.
So, having gotten her read for the journey, the medics and members of her family got her down the stairs of the house, seated her comfortably on the utility chair from the ambulance and strapped her in, before we manoeuvred her into the back of the ambulance. With a member of the family accompanying her in the ambulance, the other two of us made our own way by car to the hospital. Having gotten there we parked and went into A & E, but there was no sign of our relative or the relative who accompanied her. So we waited around, and, after 10 or 15 minutes I noticed one of the medics who was in the ambulance and made my way to him, and subsequently found out that they had our relative in an ante room. More waiting, as they had not booked her in as yet. By now I had gone to the Receptionist to make enquiries, and was informed that nobody by that name had been booked in.
The receptionist was to seek us out about 15 minutes later, to inform us that our relative had now been booked in, and that if we made our way to cubicle 6b, we would find him. We duly complied, and found our sick relative and the relative who accompanied her in cubicle 6b. By now our relative was on lying on a bed and attached to a monitor which was monitoring her blood pressure and pulse rate.
We had gotten to our relative at around 1800 hours, and at the hospital at about 1900, and did not leave until about 0245. Despite that, by the time we left the hospital, our relative had not been allocated a bed in a ward, but had to have one made up for her in cubile 6b, after it was decided that she needed to remain overnight. Before this decision was made, our relative had a number of tests, including her blood, an X-ray, and a CT scan.
These tests took much longer than we had anticipated, and required more time for them to be analysed, both by the relevant labs and the on call consultant. In the case of the CT scan, the test had to be sent to Australia to be analysed, before being returned to the hospital. In the case of the X-Ray, for whatever reason, the Radiologist was much delayed in carrying them out, resulting in our relative having to wait for 30 or 40 minutes.
It was noticeable that there was a problem of staff shortages, including, but not solely, in the X-Ray department. All of which meant long delays in some the relevant stages of the patients assessments being completed, and the consultant getting around to seeing the patients and their relatives to inform and discuss the outcome of the tests and next stages with them.
In the case of our relative, she was found to have subdural haematoma in two separate locations of her brain. Which led to the consultant considering whether to have our relative transferred to a larger hospital to have the condition operated on.
To be continued
The receptionist was to seek us out about 15 minutes later, to inform us that our relative had now been booked in, and that if we made our way to cubicle 6b, we would find him. We duly complied, and found our sick relative and the relative who accompanied her in cubicle 6b. By now our relative was on lying on a bed and attached to a monitor which was monitoring her blood pressure and pulse rate.
We had gotten to our relative at around 1800 hours, and at the hospital at about 1900, and did not leave until about 0245. Despite that, by the time we left the hospital, our relative had not been allocated a bed in a ward, but had to have one made up for her in cubile 6b, after it was decided that she needed to remain overnight. Before this decision was made, our relative had a number of tests, including her blood, an X-ray, and a CT scan.
These tests took much longer than we had anticipated, and required more time for them to be analysed, both by the relevant labs and the on call consultant. In the case of the CT scan, the test had to be sent to Australia to be analysed, before being returned to the hospital. In the case of the X-Ray, for whatever reason, the Radiologist was much delayed in carrying them out, resulting in our relative having to wait for 30 or 40 minutes.
It was noticeable that there was a problem of staff shortages, including, but not solely, in the X-Ray department. All of which meant long delays in some the relevant stages of the patients assessments being completed, and the consultant getting around to seeing the patients and their relatives to inform and discuss the outcome of the tests and next stages with them.
In the case of our relative, she was found to have subdural haematoma in two separate locations of her brain. Which led to the consultant considering whether to have our relative transferred to a larger hospital to have the condition operated on.
To be continued
Like the pumpkin patch, if we want to reap a 'good healthcare harvest', society has to invest sufficient relevant resources in their healthcare systems.
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