"Where are my notes?"

Anything else?

Hi, I have just discovered that it is possible to express my concerns via a review. I atteneded the Gastro-enterology Dept. on 1st October for my third sigmoidoscopy. As usual the nurses were wonderful, but as usual they had no notes there for me. After answering all the usual questions as to why I was there, I asked why they had no previous notes for me. The nurse replied that -'We ask for them but often they are not sent over'. Each time I have to tell them that I have a severe hypertension problem. Despite being on medication I have 'white coat syndrome' ( if you would like to check my records my blood pressure while in RLI for precedures has 'rung the bells' (210/140, and at my worst post-op 240/150). I have to insist that my BP is taken (as the nurse did - and it was again in that region) and ask for a sedative as I am terrrified of having a stroke during a procedure. Taken in for my sigmoidoscopy the doctor involved did not even check the nurse's notes and I had to tell him to look at them to see my BP reading. He then hooked me up to a BP monitor and put a cannula in my hand for a sedative, a junior nurse would have done it less painfully. Two weeks later I had to see my GP as the back of my hand was still hugly swollen, hot and black and I was given antibiotics. As I write 3 1/2 weeks later I still have black bruises. Please don't fob me off with the usual - I do all I can to inform your staff of this problem but I know that other elderly people are not so aware of the shortcomings. I will be happy to give you my NHS details if you wish to contact me. Why are my notes not made available?