PALS & Complaints

Pooka - I have sent you a friendship request. As a past radiographer I complained about my husbands care (it took 6 months to get him past the diagnostic stage to palliative radiotherapy of his hip). If you are not satisfied with the answer from the hospital you can go to the public service ombudsman. I have been down that route. It is slow. But the ombudsman has upheld my complaint and the trust has to make significant changes.

Viv 

Thanks Tivvy

I am just in process of working through my response to the hospital's reply.. I am definitely not happy with what they have to say.

Mym x

Hi, I have made mine clear it isn't a complaint, but want an Independant enquiry to see if he got the care he should have and what lessons can be learnt.

After over 4 months I have had what they call an incomplete report as services haven't responded to their requests for Information. So only the hospital that he was in for 12 weeks.

I am in process of contacting the individual services myself, I have done the GP's who say they will respond asap  after seeing how distraught I was. I am exhausted by it all. But need to do it, how ever long it takes, but know I can't move in until it is complete and it won't bring him back.

Love

Donna x.

Hi Donna

I can understand your need to complete the process...

To be fair my initial letter was also more a need for honest answers rather than complaining. But, after reading the diatribe they have sent me 10 month later  (8 month later than they should have responded) I am now considering escalating to the Ombudsman.

I am annoyed that they seem to be falling back on inferring that my husband was confused due to his illness.... No, I was present at appointments/telephone consultations and I still have all my notes,  photos and written messages that confirm much of what I am complaining about.  

My husband asked me to contact PALS on his behalf ... I intend to follow his wishes and let his voice be heard.

Stay strong x

Mym 

What?! A 26 page attempt to try and explain themselves to you when you have been there and witnessed it all all along?! That is really outrageous. I can completely understand your anger and your determination and I can tell you that if I had the impression that the medical system had failed my husband, and particularly if he himself had felt this way and had asked me to make a complaint, nothing could have stopped me either. It is for people like you that they don't get away with neglect. Keep going!
but also mind yourself and if it ever gets too much or you think you can't do this any more, then remind yourself that Mark would understand that too. 
Love,Mel 

Well done for having the will to keep going. Sadly I got upset from the inadequate response. My dad advised me to refrain from upsetting myself. I think it was right at the time. Although I am still angry and upset by the hospital and would avoid the place at all costs! 

Stay strong 

Love and hugs Alison XXX️

Thank you all for your replies..

I spent the whole day yesterday working through the paperwork and collating my evidence. I also have a friend of friend (never met him) offered to look through the hospital reply as he previously worked in a similar field.  My daughter who teaches law will help me put the information together... and it will all be forwarded to the Ombudsman.

The hospital had their chance to apologise and accept some failings of duty of care and I would have accepted that... but they have chosen to be dismissive, to infer my husband and I were mistaken or lying.  The oncologist hasn't even responded in person. They are trying to pat me on the head and tell me to run along now.

I don't care how long it takes but I will fight for an apology for my husband.

Mym x

Good on you girl! We have reservations about Gary’s treatment and care (or lack of it at times). We saw the best and the worst of the NHS during his 15 month cancer journey but sadly much of it just wasn’t of the standard he deserved. So much blamed on Covid but the numbers in our area were negligible and it just seemed like an excuse. 

I really wish you well in your endeavours xx 

Thanks..

For all of us on this group that have lost our partner during the last 18 month or so, covid has had an impact. 

Hospitals cancelled treatment, stopped face to face appointments and most importantly they cruelly banned visiting which robbed many of us of precious time together.

 My local hospital was a separate building from the cancer centre so I could never understand why they stopped patient's consultations.

For terminally ill patients who never had the option of time... Covid took priority over cancer.  

Dear all,   

I just wanted to share something with you all.   After my lovely wife was given a terminal cancer diagnosis, I asked her consultant how many palliative treatments do you have to fight her aggressive uterus cancer?  Control it, slow it down and shrink it buy Lynn as much time as possible to be with her loved ones.  He said 1 just the 1, using Carboplatin.   Is that it I thought.  Well, this is what happened next.   We voted with our feet, dropped him went to another cancer hospital and they threw everything at Lynn’s cancer including 6 different cancer drugs.  Thankfully extending her life by 2 years before she passed.   What a difference between hospitals.  It made me mad at the time.

Peter x