"I was treated at the Day Care ..."

What I liked

I was treated at the Day Care Unit on the 16th June and cannot speak too highly of the experience.

From the time I was contacted in the reception area and taken to the ward to the time I was discharged the conduct of the ward staff was exemplary.

Nurses, doctors, consultant were all attentive and took pains to explain the proceedure in the greatest of detail and their conduct througthout cannot be faulted.

What could be improved

The after care, or lack of it is a different matter.

I was given a goody bag containing pain killers and 4 rather small plasters.

My leaving instructions were to remove the sling and bandage after 48 hours and attend an appointment in two weeks to have the dressing and stitches removed.

Upon removing the bandage revealed that there was no dressing as such, just a piece of material placed over the wound and held in place with the bandage.

The wound was still weeping and neede covering.

The plasters provided were in no way capable of protecting the wound.

We mocked something up using lint etc. from the medical box but due to the nature of the wound which runs from a finger and across the palm of the hand it is almost impossible to cover it perfectly.

Two weeks is a long time to maintain this proceedure on a make do and mend basis and ensure a satisfactorily healing process.

Is it right that two 75 year old pensioners should be placed in this position?

If infection occurs do I have the right to sue the Hospital?

Anything else?

What started as a perfect day out degenerated into something more akin to a nightmare.

What do you, as a Trust, intend to do about it?