"Treatment of my father"

My father had been suffering acute bowel problems for five weeks, losing a significant amount of weight in the process.

Furthermore, he began experiencing vision problems (partial blindness) suddenly in one eye.

He was repeatedly told by his GP just to wait longer for the symptoms to improve without intervention. The GP suspected a nasty stomach bug.

Severely dehydrated, weak and malnourished he was eventually admitted to Ayr Hospital A&E for assessment.

He was rehydrated via a drip and blood/stool sample tests were carried out and found to be clear.

After three days he was discharged with the doctor stating on his discharge letter that symptoms had significantly improved. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

The issue with my father’s vision was not investigated at all despite it having been repeatedly raised as a concern. The bowel problems persisted on his day of discharge, a point he made to the doctor in front of two witnesses.

For me, the fact that he was discharged was either negligence or incompetence. Or both.

He was sent home feeling slightly better thanks to the rehydration. At my insistence the following day he visited his optician about his eyes. The optician suspected an eye stroke (arguably more serious than the bowel issue) and sent him straight back to hospital. A scan confirmed an eye TIA.

He was then referred to Crosshouse for a scan on his neck arteries. These showed significant blockages in both arteries. The consultant told him on the phone he should have never been discharged from hospital. The arteries required cleaning, but my father, who had been steadily declining in health since discharge, was not sufficiently well for the procedure.

I visited my father and his condition was of great concern to me. He was exhausted simply holding a conversation. This is completely out of character for him as he’s normally such an active man. I am no stranger to people needing urgent medical attention from my job, and believed he met that criteria.

I insisted he return to hospital immediately for further treatment and investigation. He called 999 for an ambulance but was told it wasn’t an emergency and to call NHS24.

After 90 minutes on hold he eventually spoke to someone, who stated that it was appropriate to send out a doctor to assess him within two hours.

He received a call from a doctor at Ayrshire Doctor’s on Call a short time later. I found this doctor to be rude. Having explained his condition to this doctor, he was asked what he wanted the doctor to do about it. The doctor added that he seemed to know more about all this than they do. The doctor refused to attend to see him. They refused to send an ambulance and stated my father could attend A&E by public transport.

That was an absolute joke as he could barely even stand!

I feel that this doctor in refusing to attend wilfully neglected my father, showing no care, compassion or common sense.

Exasperated, my father was taken to his GP surgery the following morning. His GP requested admission to Ayr A&E once again.

He was found to be suffering severe dehydration and an infection.

The care and treatment he received second time around was thankfully more thorough and the symptoms improved sufficiently to allow him to return home a week later. Communication was, in my experience, pitiful. He only learned he had had an infection on his day of discharge thanks to a nurse mentioning it.

I am appalled at what I feel were two clear instances of negligence on the part of the care my father received. The unnecessary stress this caused our family was an horrific experience and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

1 - He should never have been discharged the first time around. A serious and potentially life threatening issue had not been investigated. I believe the doctor also lied on his discharge letter about symptoms resolving, when in reality they had not. This I feel was negligent.

2 - Ayrshire Doctors on Call were also negligent and/or incompetent, in my view, in refusing to visit my father given how poor his condition was. 

I no longer have any faith in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.