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Fasting over 36hrs and not offered food or drink

Posted By Romilyroma

"Fasting over 36hrs and not offered food or drink"

About: Forth Valley Royal Hospital / Ambulatory Care Forth Valley Royal Hospital / Endoscopy and day care

(as a relative),

My husband attended today for a colonoscopy at FVRH in Larbert. He was naturally apprehensive and had fasted as instructed the day previously. Staff in the Colonoscopy clinic were pleasant, knowledgeable and informative. However, his experience in ambulatory care department was extremely poor.

He felt that they were keen to get him out of the department as soon as possible, which was supported by the frosty response I got when they called me and I told them I could not pick him until later as I was at work. Apparently there was nowhere for him to go. I found this attitude pretty appalling to be honest, and shuffled my work around to pick him up a bit earlier.

However, when I picked him up I discovered that he had not even been offered any food or drink, despite fasting for over 36 hours by that point. The nurses seemed more intent on discussing their personal lives than really caring for patients. I am a nurse myself, and just think this example displays a complete lack of empathy and basic nursing care. 

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Responses

Response from Michelle Gilbertson, Senior Charge Nurse, Endoscopy Department, NHS Forth Valley 2 years ago
Michelle Gilbertson
Senior Charge Nurse, Endoscopy Department,
NHS Forth Valley

Submitted on 30/01/2023 at 15:50
Published on Care Opinion at 16:39

Hi Romilyroma,

First of all I would like to thank you for your feed back and the initial kind words regarding the staff at what must have been the admission and procedure stage. We do strive to offer a high standard of care for all our patients attending who are as you say apprehensive about a possible uncomfortable procedure.

I give my apologies that your husband had not been offered refreshments prior to discharge, as long as a patient does not require to remain fasted for a clinical reason patients should be offered refreshments prior to discharge.

Please call into the unit if you wish to speak with me regarding this, if I knew which day this was and the patient I can have a better understanding and speak with the staff involved moving forward to ensure this does not happen again. Also to discuss the telephone call you had with the nurse with regards to collecting your husband. All calls to relatives should be professional whatever information is being given.

We have discussed at the staffing huddle this morning reinforcing the importance of offering refreshments to patients prior to discharge.

Thank you

Michelle Gilbertson SCN Endoscopy Unit

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Romilyroma (a relative)

Thank you Michelle for your response. I will call you to provide further details. As as a nurse myself I was dismayed by the awful attitude and lack of professionalism.

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