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My mothers care at the Royal Free

Posted By Scared relative

"My mothers care at the Royal Free"

About: Northwick Park Hospital / Accident and emergency Royal Free Hospital / General medicine

(as a relative),

My mother is 'recovering' from a major stroke which she had a month ago. She was initially taken to Northwick Park Hospital but the transferred to TRF as she lives nearer to it. In general I feel her treatment has been pretty appalling.

She cannot speak or move, has a catheter and pad. I arrived numerous times to find her gown virtually around her chin so she had absolutely no dignity in front of other patients and their visitors! I did mention this but nothing was done. She cried a lot out of frustration, pain and discomfort but we were told by nurses that she did it a lot so had to ignore her. We finally complained to the head of nursing and then for two days they couldn't do enough; fussing and watching and ensuring her every need was met. Mum started to improve and seemed happier. Then she is put in a side room alone. My sister arrived to visit one day last week to find Mum very upset, in a panic and the door closed. My sister asked why her door was closed and was told that Mum always cried.

The nursing staff at the Royal Free needs a serious overhaul in our opinion. I feel like saying, if people don't want to nurse then they shouldn't do the job. If you cant have empathy with patients or be able to treat them in a dignified and kind manner then you have no place being a nurse.

People don't complain because they are scared of retribution. Patients also have told me this and I think my point has been proven given the way my mother has been treated.

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Responses

Response from Francesca Bastiani, Communications Officer, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust 9 years ago
Francesca Bastiani
Communications Officer,
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

Submitted on 02/06/2014 at 12:11
Published on Care Opinion at 13:18

Hi,

We are very sorry to hear about your mother's experience at the Royal Free. Please help us to make positive changes by contacting us at rfh.communications@nhs.net directly, and someone will be in touch with you to discuss this. Your feedback has been passed on to our director of nursing. Please include your contact details so we can get in touch.

Royal Free communications

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Response from Stroke Association, Stroke Helpline, Stroke Association 9 years ago
Stroke Association
Stroke Helpline,
Stroke Association

Submitted on 05/06/2014 at 09:07
Published on Care Opinion at 10:29

Hi

We noticed your post and thought you may be interested to hear about the work of the Stroke Association and how we may be able to support you and your mother. Stroke Association is the leading charity in the UK changing the world for people affected by stroke.

Our Stroke Helpline is there for anyone who has been affected by stroke in any way. You may want to know more about stroke and its effects, be looking for practical information and support, or simply someone to talk to. The Stroke Helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0303 30 33 100. You can also email us at info@stroke.org.uk. We also have a range of services across the UK, providing information, advice and support to stroke survivors and their families. You can find out if there is a service in your area by contacting the Helpline.

We were sorry to hear of your mother’s stroke and that you feel you did not receive good care. It sounds as though the hospital is willing to look into your concerns but if you are still unhappy, it may be helpful to contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). PALS is an independent organisation, there to ensure that the NHS listens to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, answers their questions and resolves their concerns as quickly as possible. You can telephone PALS at The Royal Free Hospital on 020 7472 6446 / 6447; (020 7472 6445 - 24 hour answer phone) or email them at rfh.pals@nhs.net

Finally, you can also find lots of information about stroke on our website at www.stroke.org.uk. You can read about our services, read or listen to other people’s experiences and download all of our publications free of charge. There is news about our campaigns to improve services for stroke survivors, national and local events and our research programmes. You can also join the Talkstroke discussion group where you can share your experiences with other people who have been affected by stroke.

I hope that this is helpful and that she is now getting the support she needs to make the best recovery possible.

Stroke Information Service

info@stroke.org.uk

Stroke Association staff are not medically trained and the information provided does not replace information given to you by your own healthcare provider.

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Update posted by Scared relative (a relative)

To Stroke Information Service: Many thanks for your response. Sadly my mother died one week after having a PEG inserted and which resulted in Sepsis and Bronchial Pneumonia. I do appreciate your offer of support though.

Response from Stroke Association, Stroke Helpline, Stroke Association 9 years ago
Stroke Association
Stroke Helpline,
Stroke Association

Submitted on 17/06/2014 at 15:10
Published on Care Opinion at 16:09

Thank you for your reply. I was very sorry to hear that your mother died after having a PEG inserted. Please accept our sincere condolences. If you would like to talk to someone please do not hesitate to contact us on 0303 30 33 100.

You may also find our information about bereavement helpful. This is available from the following page of our website.

Bereavement and stroke

http://www.stroke.org.uk/factsheet/bereavement-and-stroke

Stroke Information Service

info@stroke.org.uk

Stroke Association staff are not medically trained and the information provided does not replace information given to you by your own healthcare provider.

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Response from Royal Free Hospital 9 years ago
Royal Free Hospital

Submitted on 25/03/2015 at 15:56
Published on nhs.uk on 26/03/2015 at 00:00

We're very sorry to hear about your experience. If you would like to send further information plus your contact details to rf.communications@nhs.net we will raise this with our complaints team so that it can be looked into.

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