I am about to highlight what in my opinion is a serious shortfall in care my wife received from the above hospital. One Friday evening my wife started to complain of a serious headache inside her right eye. She put up with the pain until Sunday when we felt she had to be seen my medical professionals, we visited Queen Margaret Hospital Dunfermline walk in centre (no A+E at this hospital 18 miles away at Kirkcaldy) where she was seen quickly by a very good nurse practitioner, a few hours later she was examined by a opthalmic doctor who immediatley called in a consultant, who in turn send her straight to Victoria Hospital Kirkcaldy for a scan, she spent 6 hours in AU1 ward during which time she underwent a scan, at app 2245 a nurse discharged her informing her to go home as the scan proved OK and she would be contacted next day for a follow up appointment.
Next day no contact, so consequently early morning Tuesday we attended, A+E at Victoria hospital where she was seen quickly by another good nurse practitioner, A+E consultant and and opthamic doctor within 45 mins. Again she was sent to AU1 ward where eventually she was given another scan culminating in her being blue lighted to the Western General Hospital Edinburgh for an operation on an anuerism in her brain, fortunately she is recovering fairly well but has virtually no vision from her right eye.
Summing up we have now had a letter from the head of NHS Fife after we complained about the poor and incorrect initial treatment she received. Apparently, staff in the X ray department changed the relevant scan asked for to a much lesser grade scan which actually missed the anuerism, secondly why did a nurse and not a doctor discharge my wife? why did no one contact her as per the hospital instruction when she was sent home, considering Victoria Hospital has recently been given an award for patient tracking. Obviously not quite true all the time.
I forwarded my letter of complaint to the relevant department at the hospital but also to my local MP and the MP covering the hospital. At least my MP replied the other MP did not even acknowledge my letter my MP forwarded my complaint to the Minister for Health at the Scottish Parliament. The reply from this department was what I had expected, the Scottish Government is committed to providing the people of Scotland with the best standard health care but it is actually the NHS Fife who are responsible for providing the necessary healthcare and not the Government (cop out). However after my original letter and what appears to be an in depth investigation by the Medical Director at Victoria Hospital, quite a few things are now changing and hopefully no one being admitted to this hospital will have to undergo what my wife went through to get the correct level of care she deserved.
"Hopefully no one will have to undergo what my wife went through"
About: Queen Margaret Hospital / Neurology Queen Margaret Hospital Neurology KY12 0SU Victoria Hospital / Accident & Emergency Victoria Hospital Accident & Emergency KY2 5AH
Posted by Disapointed PWHANH (as ),
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Update posted by Disapointed PWHANH (a relative) 8 years ago
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