"Sent home with no follow up"

I was admitted to Dr Gray’s Hospital on 31/08/2020 with a suspected appendicitis, I was admitted via my GP.

I was examined and advised I would be given an ultrasound to investigate my abdominal pain.  I was scanned on and had to await results.  Returned results were not clear as to the reason for my abdominal pain and still no one could advise if I was going to be going to theatre.  The pain in my abdomen was getting worse.  On Tuesday night I was given a meal which was to say the least inedible which as a type 1 diabetic was concerning.  I was then advised that I would scheduled for a CT scan but no one could advise when this would happen or if I would be going to surgery for the increasing pain.  I was instructed to fast from midnight on Tuesday and that I would be out on a sliding scale to deliver my insulin requirements at 6am on the Wednesday morning, this indeed happened.  I did not get a CT scan until 4pm on the Wednesday by which time I had been on a sliding scale for 10 hours, which was maintaining my blood sugar levels above target and I had also been fasted for 16 hours.  At 7pm on Wednesday night I received the CT scan results which I was advised were indicating that no appendix surgery was required but no one could explain the intense abdominal pain that I was in. At this point no effort whatsoever was made to listen to my concerns, though they did however succeed in an effortless ability to talk over me instead of listening.  Made me feel like a pest, like I had no reason to be worried and that I should indeed be pleased. As no surgery was planned I asked if I would taken off of my sliding scale in order for me to return to my regular diabetic medication regime and eat as I had now fasted for 19 hours.  I was told that I would be kept on the sliding scale and that I had to continue to fast.  I was extremely confused as to why this treatment was continuing when no surgery was required.  I was concerned about ketones as I had not eaten for so long.  On Thursday morning I was told that the doctor would be in to see me at 8.30am and that the sliding scale would not be removed until after that. The doctor did not come to see me until 9.30am this morning to tell me that I was being discharged with pain management, there would be no follow up consultation and that the sliding scale would be removed.  I was indeed made to feel like a complete inconvenience.  So I was and still am in considerable pain, I had been fasted for  in excess of 33 hours and kept on a sliding scale for no explainable reason for more than 27 hours.  Around noon the doctor came to ask if it was OK to speak my husband regarding my treatment as he had called for an update as he could not visit due to current COVID restrictions.  When I said it was absolutely no problem to discuss any details of care with my husband he said he would be called.  My husband was not called until after I had been discharged at 6pm and when questioned as to why a type 1 diabetic had been admitted on Monday, fed on Tuesday afternoon and then fasted until Thursday, the response was to telling my husband that they "did not like his tone".

This question still has not been answered.  My husband also questioned the length of time the sliding scale has been in place despite no surgery being planned.  It was stated this time that they would again not answer the question due to the tone.  So tonight I am home still in severe pain, having been sent home hungry with no follow up planned and a doctor who it seems will not answer any questions regarding completely unacceptable care. Perfectly willing to make patients feel inconvenient.