"My care in hospital"

I would like to make several comments on my care.

Last month I was admitted into the hospital because of a heart attack.  I am deaf and communicate by lip reading.  I can talk.  No-one communicated with me and i found it very hard to understand the doctors or consultants as they had beard and moustache so I could not read their lips.

I was in the hospital for ten days and I have a food allergy, Allium allergy, they could not accommodate me so i had the same roast dinner served every day for 10 days.

I am confused as to why I suffered a heart attack as I had a pacemaker fitted in December.

I feel there is no policy or care for a deaf person.

I felt that because of my age, I am in my late 80s,, they cannot be bothered.

I have had no follow up since my discharge.  I was discharged at 10 o'clock on a Saturday night.  I was in the town centre, alone in a busy town centre and struggled to get a taxi.  When I did arrive home it was to a dark, cold house and because I had been in hospital I had no food, it was late at night and I couldn't exactly go shopping.

Left to fight for myself just the same as all my life.

I have only my nephew - no children or family of my own to call really.

To get my pacemaker I saw several doctors at the North Devon hospital but was told they could not do anything for me as they did not have a cardiologist who could do the procedure and was sent away, dismissed.

I contacted the British Heart Foundation who sent me the details of consultant's that did do the procedure.  There were two people, I communicated by post  and spoke with them and eventually I travelled with my nephew the 70 miles to Plymouth Hospital to have the procedure.  My nephew stayed in a hotel overnight so he could take me back home.  I left with no details of aftercare.  I did not know that you are not supposed to use electric blankets, have to be careful with mobile phones, I only found out this information after again reaching out to the heart foundation who sent me a information booklet which I have shared with my GP.

Also when I have been to my local hospital for a pace maker check the staff do not seem to have medical knowledge, they do not have my notes or give me any support or advice, they simply run a scanner over the pacemaker and tell me it is working fine.  Why then did I suffer a heart attack?

There as been no follow up since my discharge, no explanations, aftercare or anything. 

I visited my own GP this morning, I was trying to get my Covid jab as I had missed this while I was in hospital.  I was refused  and told  that they do not do them there.