Monday 6 October 2008

Is UCHL the most badly run and staffed hospital on earth?

Answer......yes!!!!
We are now in October 2008......some 8 mths after the initial debacle at the A&E dept and I am still having to make numerous phone calls to several depts of the hospital to get help with what has now been diagnosed as chronic pain. The surgeon, Mr J Allibone, with whom I was due to have a meeting with early July, failed to make the appt and though I was told I would immediately get another appointment have heard nothing since. This despite the fact he had let several patients down on the morning I arrived by failing to turn up several hours after his 1st appt was due to start. They now asure me, because I called to remind them, an appointment is in the post.
I called the Pain Management Dept during the 1st week of Sept to tell them I was in a bad way and needed to see the doctor ahead of a scheduled appt at the end of Oct, they failed to respond and subsequently 3 days later I collapsed at home and was taken, once given large doses of morphine, to St Thomas's Hospital. I had refused to allow the paramedic or ambulance team to take me anywhere near UCH. The difference in approach was staggering. I was admitted to a ward for 3 weeks within hours of arriving at St Thomas's. The level of nursing care was so different I found it almost unbelieveable.