i know there have been various goings on with CO-VID causing issues on the NHS but today i will mostly be ranting about the complete lack of communication between the welsh NHS and their patients and i would love to hear from anyone in North Wales experiencing the same or similar issues as i am beginning to think that perhaps a little letter to the Daily Post about the state of the welsh NHS may be in order.
I want to make it clear that i have no issues with any particular individuals and can only praise the numerous nurses we have come across since May 2020 for being absolute legends and working themselves ragged for everyone.
it has been so hard so keep my thoughts to myself during this time as i have had to watch my OH suffer through so much pain and weight loss. whilst we have been able to spend some time together we started chatting about his hospital stays and how much weight he has lost. i found out that he spent an entire day in A&E waiting for a blood test and an x-ray even thought they thought have had a bowel obstruction! it then transpired that not only had they not informed me of the stage of his cancer, they hadn't even told him. when we tried to ask for further information he was condescended to by his stoma nurse who tried to explain that his tumour was "like an onion". we have asked for clinical letters so we understood his position and have had to ask repeatedly for this, we finally received a copy letter from the colorectal surgeon to the oncology professor from May 2020 a day ago. My OH ended up in A&E at Arrowe Park hospital a few times and was cared for with so much dignity, respect and empathy there (also in a fantastically clean setting) and every step of what they were doing was explained to him and why and a clinical discharge summary provided to him on release. Arrowe Park also did a CT scan of their own and we advised Wrexham Maelor of this but again we have heard nothing despite asking again and again. we have been told to attend clinic on 3 occasions only to get there and be told the Prof is only doing telephone consultations which simply don't work for my OH as when he is pain he doesn't take anything in and forgets to ask for things and then he promised they will ring me and that doesn't happen either. The only information we have is that which we have gleaned ourselves from seeing a copy of his GP issued sick note ....dont get me started on universal credit.
the worst part is seeing the looks on the faces of some of the nurses when my OH has complained of being in pain, almost like they dont believe it is possible and they treat him like a child which for a 52 year old man is completely demeaning. i finally intervened as i couldn't bear to watch him in so much pain and he has finally been prescribed fentanyl patches as i had to explain that every time he tried to take the 10-20 tablets a day for pain relief he either ended up throwing up quickly thereafter or they were coming out whole and completely undigested in his stoma bag - i was told by his stoma nurse that this wasn't possible - i have the undigested tablets in front of me lovely, i watched him fish them out of his stoma bag myself, i know he isn't lying.
i sincerely hope nobody else is having to deal with this kind of situation, it is beyond draining - if you are, drop me a line i would like to hear your thoughts and advice...
as it stands i asked my OH to move in with me now on the Wirral and we are in the process of trying to transfer his care. if you are a welsh NHS patient please believe me when i say you are getting the terrible end of the stick being a welsh resident. your hospitals are practically falling down, you don't have enough staff to nurse the wards properly, no house keeping staff and no decent food. i thoroughly advise you go and visit an English hospital and see what the difference is but until i saw both sides with my own two eyes i wouldnt have believed it myself. i know paying for your prescription might seem expensive but that money goes back into the NHS in England and you can tell the difference!
and as an ex medical secretary myself i know what is and isnt correct treatement of patients ...
