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"Refusal of Treatment Room to Treat me"

About: Armagh / District Nursing Armagh / Treatment rooms

(as the patient),

I am currently recovering from major osphagus cancer surgery which has left me with life changing consequences. I have nerve damage down my right hand side a stoma bag on my neck and I am get my liquid, pain relief and nutrition through a feed line. My feed line needs the dressings changed weekly and  a clogzapper fortnightly to ensure it stays clear and functional. My dressings and clogzapper have been changed and managed by the District Nurse team for the past fifteen months as I have been housebound. They have been fantastic and given me top class care. Recently I have been able to get out and about on my own, so it was decided to transfer me to my local treatment room nurses at my health centre,

 as this would give me an opportunity to get out of the house and socialise. This would mean I could book a time slot so that I wasn't waiting for the nurses to come to me and also free up the District Nurse team to attend patients who cannot get out and about. I was booked in to get my dressings changed but there seemed to be some initial issues regarding the treatment room nurses willingness to deal with me and my feeding tube. I attended the clinic at which the nurses changed my dressing and asked me questions about my feeding tube and my medical history. A second appointment was made for the following week to change my dressing and do my clogzapper. The treatment room nurses had expressed concerns they hadn't done one before so I told them that my tube coordinator was willing to come along and show them how to do my clogzapper, as they had done initially with the District Nursing Team.

The following week I was contacted by the District Nurse Team apologising to say that the treatment room had refused to treat me. This really shocked me to hear that they were refusing to treat a patient apparently hat treating me in the treatment room was not an appropriate use of the treatment room. This news devastated me. To say that the maintenance and care of my feeding tube was not an appropriate use of the treatment room was unbelievable. This tube is literally my life line it feeds me supplies me all my liquids and is my major route for my pain medications. This has left me feeling very angry, confused and feeling like a second class citizen. I already suffer from anxiety and low mood due the after affects of my cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgeries. I am finding it hard to comprehend how the health service is allowed to refuse treatment to a patient in an NHS building. Do they not have a duty of care to all patients that present themselves for treatment. The District Nurse Team have said they will continue to treat me in the meantime.  But what would have happened to me if they had not been able to facilitate me. I am yet to be contacted by the treatment room nursing team to explain why they are refusing to treat me.

I would like to know on what grounds I am being refused treatment.
What part of changing my dressings and using a clogzapper to clean my feeding tube are deemed not appropriate use of the treatment room. 
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Responses

Response from Jean McKinney, Treatment Room Lead Nurse, Adult Community Services Directorate, Southern Health and Social Care Trust 2 weeks ago
Jean McKinney
Treatment Room Lead Nurse, Adult Community Services Directorate,
Southern Health and Social Care Trust
Submitted on 17/06/2025 at 15:44
Published on Care Opinion at 17:37


Dear U P Sett,

I am very sorry to hear about your cancer diagnosis and the impact this has had on your life journey to so far.

You have had life changing surgery, which I can only imagine has been extremely difficult for you.

I am happy to hear that you are now able to socialize, and get out and about more.

It is great to hear that the District Nursing team have been so supportive in managing your illness.

Could you please call me to discuss your concerns raised around the Treatment Room appointments so I can explore this further.

Kind regards,

Jean McKinney

Treatment Room Lead Nurse

07745201436

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