"Abandoned with no treatment"

About: Northampton General Hospital (Acute)

(as the patient),

I was admitted to NGH in mid March as an emergency admission by my GP as I suddenly became severely jaundiced. There could have been any number of reasons for the jaundice, one possibility was obstructive jaundice (gall stone obstructing common bile duct), blood samples were taken and was I admitted so I could have an ultrasound scan of my abdomen. I felt the admitting consultant was insensitive to my needs as a breast feeding mother of a six month old baby (said he could not see what the problem was my partner could look after the baby), although the nursing staff were helpful and sourced a breast pump for me when I asked. I was admitted to Creaton ward where I found the majority of the nursing staff to be very kind and helpful although completely rushed off their feet. I was scanned and no obstruction by a gall stone was found. I was told I could go home as long as I agreed to have a blood test in the middle of the next week and if my liver figures (billirubin, alk phos) did not improve I would be readmitted the following weekend as the same consultant was on call. I had the blood test as required and received no further contact from the team. My jaundice got worse so I went back to my GP, who had not received a full discharge summary so could not offer me treatment as she did not have any of the test results, my liver figures (billirubin had doubled and gone to 242). She had to chase up the consultant to find information, she did not receive all the information, my notes were still on the ward three weeks after my discharge as no-one had yet done a discharge summary and I did not get my outpatients appointment as promised at 4 weeks. When I was finally seen in Outpatients, I was spoken to in what I would only describe as an intimidating manner by the SHO, who suggested that my GP had been confused and that was why I had not been readmitted to hospital. I believe that as a result of the hospital team not doing as they should have done, my quality of life over the last 2 to 3 months has been poor and I have not been able to care for my family and in my opinion my GP surgery has been burdened with extra work trying to ensure I get the care I need.

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