"Recent Admission to Lincoln County Hospital"

I was recently admitted to Lincoln county hopsital following a visit to A&E after coughing up blood. I experience frequent chest pain which I'm being investigated for but the concern was the blood.

Whilst conducting blood tests (BBG) they discovered I had low bi carb and my PH was off meaning I was acidotic. Despite arguing with the ED doctor about being admitted they explained I need to be treated as this was serious and the cause needed to be identified so I agreed. It all went down hill from there.

I received No communication whatsoever about what was happening with my care once I was admitted. I was only seen by a Dr twice during my 5 day stay and on one of those occasions the Dr was arguing with me about why I was admitted as they had lost my blood results showing the acidiosis and repeatedly told me to calm down and saying I was imagining things, despite the fact I had already received the 12hr iv fluid treatment for the acidiosis. After telling them to send me home then as that was the only reason I was admitted miraculously my results appeared. I didn't even get an apology when they found them.

I then had to ask to be tested for a kidney infection given I was acidotic and had low bicarb as this shows the issue was with my kidneys. After being told no by the Drs but then speaking to a nurse who agreed I needed to give a sample, it was tested and low and behold I had an infection and was then treated for that.

Off topic slightly, but on one of the wards I could audibly hear the nurses making fun of me and laughing about a condition I am being investigated for that is in my notes due to their lack of understanding. Making jokes that my conditions acronym stood for psychotic syndrome and that I was a psycho when I hadn't even spoken to these nurses and had been nothing but polite. I think they often forget that even from the nurses station they can be heard.

One evening I was refused my antibiotic as it was "too late to have it" because the nurse had forgotten to give it to me on time but this was then marked as I had taken it on my chart when I had not. I was then moved wards and the communication got even more dire given I was placed on a surgical ward as a medical patient. This apparently happens frequently and several of the other women in my bay were also medical outliers as they called us. Nurses told me they didn't know what to do with us as they were surgical nurses and a surgical ward and had to "Google" the condition I was being investigated for as they had never heard of it before.

When asked if we would be seeing a Dr we were told that the medical Drs don't tend to review when we're on surgical wards and this meant noone was able to request to go home when at this point I'd rather have gone home and gotten worse than stay a minute longer. I was told I was waiting for cardiology only to then be told on the Monday that cardiology weren't coming as I was being seen outpatient and my condition is better assessed in that environment, something I had been saying all along.

I was then exposed to covid-19 which I understand is unavoidable but the person had been on the ward for nearly two days before getting their results. Once they had been moved and the bay put in isolation it felt like a get everyone home and quick activity. Myself and another patient were still on the bay when a team of 4 decided to come in and start stripping the curtains and the ward and then a team of 8 came in and stared the deep clean with intense and strong chemicals that triggered my asthma to the point I was coughing with chest pains requiring my inhaler and another person was vomiting. The people doing the deep clean were from theatres and expressed how sorry they were but that they had been forced to start even though we were still in there, saying there were patients in A&E who were more important, and that we were going home anyways.

Due to my asthma being triggered an extremely kind nurse got me out of the room and allowed me to wait outside for my paperwork and medication. Three hours prior to this I had been told my paperwork was already completed though only to be told it hadn't been started. Then when I got my discharge paperwork it was not even correct with why I was admitted in the first place, nor that I was acidotic and treated for this, or that I had a kidney infection. It also didn't mention that the consultant had told me I had viral bronchitis.

I got in the car to go home and sobbed my heart out. There was a ward sister who spent time with me during my stay and explained things to me that is a credit to the hospital and also the nurse that got me out of that room during the covid clean. I would not recommend any of my family or friends attend this hospital and I apologise but I am grateful to be moving home so that I do not have to fear being admitted to LCH again and the emotional upset it caused me, from being made to feel like I'm lying due to Drs losing results, nurses making fun of me and having no communication at all.