"My Mum's recent admission"

I was very wary of an admission to hospital for any loved one during the COVID-19 crisis because of the no visiting policy.

Mum took ill during the night and pressed her emergency buzzer. A carer came out as per procedure and found her in bed vomiting into a bucket. She has long-term GI issues due to radiotherapy for cervical cancer years ago so this is not the first time this has happened. I was called at 4.30 am and asked to make my way to her supported accommodation - the carer said Mum had had two seizures while they were there and that an ambulance had been called.

When I got there the paramedics were there and told me they had witnessed a further seizure and would advise she went to hospital for further investigation of this. Her DNACPR is taped to her fridge as she is adamant that she does not want resuscitating but the paramedics said it was out of date and they couldn't accept it. As I was not allowed in the ambulance to go to hospital with her I found that very distressing and told them so.

Mum then went to hospital - QEUH Glasgow. I waited for a call to ask for some history and let me know where she was. I had to call at 11.30 and go through switchboard and admissions to find out she was in ARU3 and had been since 9am. I phoned there and was told Mum was settled with no further vomiting since admission (which Mum later confirmed was not true).  I asked if the reports of seizures had been passed on and the nurse said the bloods had not shown any seizures. I checked the staff knew my Mum was registered blind and said she needed her hearing aids in. I was asked if Mum was a falls risk and I said she had a history of falls and severe osteoporosis well documented in her history. The nurse seemed happy to tell me everything was fine but I felt they did not have all the information i'd asked for with regards to my Mum. 

I got a call later saying Mum was going to 8D in 15 minutes. The nurse said Mum had asked to call me but had informed her to do it upstairs as they have better reception.

When Mum got to 8D she called and told me she had been vomiting frequently since admission and had anti-sickness medication 3 times. She hadn't seen a doctor there yet so I said I would call the ward in the morning.

I called the ward the following morning and was told Mum still hadn't seen a doctor so I asked if a doctor could call me after she had been seen as I wanted to ask about the seizures.

Mum phoned me about an hour later and said she was being discharged so I called the ward and left a message to say they would need to restart her care package.

10 minutes later I got a call asking me to come and collect Mum and take her home. I asked how that was supposed to work when family are not allowed in - I said I really wasn't happy about being asked to do that given that I couldn't visit when it mattered most to me!  The nurse said they would speak to the charge nurse and then came back and said to meet at the front door.  I got another call after that asking me to reinstate the care package which I refused to do as that is part of the hospital discharge responsibility as its not a private contract but a HSCP responsibility. 

I waited 40 minutes outside to pick Mum up and was then asked to go to the door as the nurse would not come to the drop off area.