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Poor communication and patient care

Posted By Garvster83

"Poor communication and patient care"

About: Aberdeen Royal Infirmary / Acute Short Stay Medicine Aberdeen Royal Infirmary / Dept of Scheduled Admissions

(as a relative),

My father in law was admitted to 101 last week with low blood and iron count. He was given a blood transfusion and moved to ward 103 overnight. This was documented on paperwork and computer.

He was then moved to ward 103 where he was given an iron infusion, however the nurse only documented this on paper not on the computer.

The doctor reviewed the notes on the computer only and ordered another iron infusion. My father in law began to become very unwell vomiting and it was only then that the staff realised the error of giving him too much iron.

Due to this error they needed to keep him in for a further 24 hrs to observe him.

During this observation they were supposedly carrying out they forgot to feed him dinner (he is type 1 diabetic). The nurse looking after him also refused to give him his medications he required saying there was no note of them. That they would need to speak to the doctor. But never did…

Where is the patient centred care? Where is the compassion? Where is the professionalism? Not documenting medications properly, over administering medications, withholding medications he took in with him? Not feeding a type 1 diabetic patient…this is not good.

I get that a lot of places are understaffed but that is no excuse for repeated mistakes that can make patients even more ill. They are in hospital to help get them better, not make them worse.

Due to the continual failings in his care, he then discharged himself as he no longer felt his best interests were being looked after.

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Responses

Response from Catriona Robbins, Chief Nurse, Medicine & Unscheduled Care, NHS Grampian 15 months ago
Catriona Robbins
Chief Nurse, Medicine & Unscheduled Care,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 21/05/2024 at 15:47
Published on Care Opinion at 17:01

picture of Catriona Robbins

Dear Garvster83

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with feedback following your father in laws admission to Ward 101 and Ward 103 last week.

I am sorry to read that your experiences of our care was not at the standard that we would expect and I am grateful to you for raising your concerns so that these can be explored further and any learning identified for our teams.

We try very hard to ensure that errors do not happen and I am sorry that on this occasion this was not the case, resulting in an extended stay in the ward for your father in law. It is part of our normal process to use computers to document in the patients electronic record but there are occasion when we use only paper forms, especially when monitoring the amount of fluid or drugs being given in an infusion. Please be assured that I will discuss your concerns with the teams involved and will undertake to review our practices within the ward areas.

I am saddened to read that your father did not receive food during his stay and would like to understand this more as this is unusual and clearly given his other conditions gives me cause for concern. I will again discuss with the teams to try to understand what happened and to put in place measures to prevent this occurring again.

When administering medications we need to ensure that all patients have routine medications prescribed before they are administered, and I am sorry if this was not more clearly explained to your father in law at the time. Again I will discuss with my teams to ensure that we improve communication with our patients.

I am truly sorry that your father in law felt that his only course of action was to discharge himself from our care. If you or your father in law feel able to speak to me directly I would appreciate hearing from you and can be contacted by phone on 01224 550110 or by email at catriona.robbins@nhs.scot. This would enable me to take forward your concerns more fully. However I understand that this may be difficult for you.

I am grateful that you felt able to raise your concerns and please be assure I will discuss them with the teams involved.

Once again I am sorry that this was you experiences of our care and I hope that your father in law is making a recovery at home.

Best wishes

Catriona

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