"Most horrendous unit I have ever visited."

Visited the headlands unit for my first ever chemo session there. I have however had chemo three times before at a different hospital before my relocation to Cornwall with no problems at all in the Great Western hospital in Wiltshire. (Wishing I had never left now)

I arrived at 8-am for bloods to be done before my chemo session. Waited an hr and half before I was told that they were ok after catching the eye of the nurse who took my bloods in the waiting room whilst calling for another a patient other wise I still would of been waiting for someone to tell me they were ok. Was assured my chemo was on order and that I would be seen soon.

By 11-am after 3hrs waiting I went to reception and asked to speak to the ward sister. Spoke to the ward sister who told me my chemo was on order for the afternoon and I had been moved to the afternoon list. I was so upset at being lied to as I was told my chemo was on order and would be getting it soon. It’s a 7min infusion with a two hour cold cap treatment. I wasn’t happy and didn’t wanna go through my treatment and wanted it all cancelled as this is how upset I felt. When you’ve had eight yrs of good care at a previous hospital it’s hard to take on board uncaring treatment like this. And your just made to feel like your an inconvenience in the headlands unit to them.

I understand and believe me I’ve had eight yrs of treatment so have seen the influx of cancer patients in hospitals, but we are the patients the people dealing with cancer on a daily basis not knowing what quality of life we all have left so expect to be treated with care and shown compassion when we are there which I felt I wasn’t being treated that way at all.

I left the hospital for a break as it was all getting to me and asked them to call me when my chemo had arrived which they called at 12-15pm. I returned to the unit and was kept waiting another hr before any effort was made to cannulate me as the port couldn’t be used for a wk. Failure to cannulate so ward sister called she was busy with another patient so had another half hr wait which I didn’t mind as not everyone can cannulate first time when veins are shot away after chemo sessions. Eventually got a cannula in.

My husband and I prepared the hair for cold cap treatment and put the cap on. Nurse plugged in 10mins later not working nurse called again apparently all well 10mins again not working ward sister called with another nurse nope not working plugged cable in clicked instant brain freeze so 25mins wasted again had to reset for half hr again before treatment could be given. 7min infusion of chemo given after half hr expired then sat for another hour and a half after for cold cap treatment.

What should of been a two and half hr treatment turned my day into 9hrs at the hospital. What I also don’t understand is that no observation are done temperature blood pressure my heart rate is high due to fluid on my lungs that needs monitoring. WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!