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Insufficient staffing levels

Posted By Jay mcg

"Insufficient staffing levels"

About: Causeway Hospital / Stroke rehabilitation

(as a relative),

My mum was admitted to ward following increased confusion via A&E. Staff were very nice but again, the area was very unstaffed to meet patients needs.

The ward had a bay room where they took in an additional bed to the window area which was designed to hold chairs and not a patient bed. This bed had no privacy curtains for my mum, there was no point of emergency O2/buzzer, call bells etc as was not designed for a bed area so was very worried as you can imagine with not only this but how understaffed the wards are.

I seen I good few falls on the ward which was concerning and felt it slowed down my mum's recovery where she felt the need to constantly shout for nurses for other confused patients where this could have been avoided had there been increased staff on ward floor. Again, through no fault of ward staff, I felt the care could have been better through improved staffing levels.

I seen my mum whilst she remained confused receiving IV therapy was asking and calling me daily, even during the night wanting to leave as she could not get resting at night having constantly been alert for other patients trying to climb beds, falling, or long buzzer periods.

There was an error made with misplacing her analgesia before I insisted she was going home to get rest and recovery now being brain injury but due to this displacement it resulted in me having to take additional days off work to argue with her GP about re-prescribing where the ward should have sorted it before leaving.

Again, I think there needs to be increased staff to meet patients needs, the nurses were far too over loaded and especially since making beds in bays that the hospital was not designed for, it's resulted in poor care. It's no longer patient centred if there is insufficient staffing levels to meet the needs of patients. 

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Responses

Response from Nicky Butcher, Assistant Clinical Services Manager, Medicine, Dermatology and Medical Photography, NHSCT 12 months ago
Nicky Butcher
Assistant Clinical Services Manager, Medicine, Dermatology and Medical Photography,
NHSCT

Submitted on 02/08/2024 at 12:53
Published on Care Opinion at 12:53

Good morning,

I am Nicky Butcher,assistant clinical services manager at Causeway Hospital over medicine.

I am sorry to hear that your mum hasnt been well, and wish her well.

Acute elderly ward is an exceptionally busy ward, and there are a lot of elderly patients, some of who can be confused and at risk of falls.

The ward has clear risk assessments for falls, and for those that require supervision.

I apologise that you experience wasnt a good one, and that you perceived the ward to be short staffed.

The ward is staffed according to its funded establishment, that is nurse to staff ratio.

I appreciate your concerns regarding the extra beds/escalation beds.

Unfortunately, they are in place in all areas/wards, due to unprecedented pressure on emergency departments and acute sites. There are risk assessments done prior to a patient being identified as suitable for these beds, and are done to try to maintain patient safety.

If there were not escalation beds in usage, there would be even longer waits in Emergency departments for patients.

I am sorry there was a medication not restarted.

I am happy to look at this further, as there may have been a reason that I am not aware of, if you wish to email me at

nicky.butcher@northerntrust.hscni.net

Thanks

Nicky

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Update posted by Jay mcg (a relative)

Whilst I appreciate your efforts to justify staff ratio/ risk assessments etc. This would appear to be the issue I have seen, this ratio does not always work unfortunately regardless of funding paperwork/guidelines needing urgent reviews in all areas when looking at statistics/falls/delays in recovery etc.

I appreciate you are attempting to justify this additional space in bays, however please read precious concerns of how this is not suitable and most of all not patient centred especially when over loading nurses role.

And again, please read previous, this was not issue of medication not restarting, it's issue of missing amount for home, further details can be seen in previous entry. I felt this could have been prevented by not over loading nurses where they would have given the appropriate time to check pharmacy bag before leaving.

Again, these many faults could be prevented by increasing staff rather than budget cutting and stating this is ratio. This ratio is clearly not working.

Response from Nicky Butcher, Assistant Clinical Services Manager, Medicine, Dermatology and Medical Photography, NHSCT 12 months ago
Nicky Butcher
Assistant Clinical Services Manager, Medicine, Dermatology and Medical Photography,
NHSCT

Submitted on 05/08/2024 at 11:12
Published on Care Opinion at 11:12

Good morning Jay mcg,

My response was not to justify staffing levels, it was merely to clarify that the ward is not short staffed, although your perception of course, may differ.

It was not justifying use of additional beds, but again, these are subject to reviews and risk assessments, done in conjunction with many different teams, and are to try to ensure that those who require a particular ward, are able to be admitted in as timely manner as possible.

Apologies if I was not correct re the medication issue, but I was not entirely sure when I read the response what the issue was.

The ward has pharmacy staff who dispense discharge medications.

I am sorry that your perceptions were that the staffing levels are inadequate.

As before, I can respond further by email.(previously included).

The staff endeavour to deliver high quality, patient centred care to all service users.

Regards,

Nicky.

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