"Fracture and Orthopedic Care"

I had an appointment at a clinic in Scarborough for the above department on Thursday, 16th April, it was for 3pm. I was seen at 3.45pm and taken to get a splint fitted. This caused considerable pain and I had to wait in pain until 5.55pm to be seen again. The consultant had a different person's x-rays up on the screen and put the wrong person's details on a form for me to sign re an operation. On Tuesday, 7th July I had the operation in Bridlington following two consultations in Scarborough on different days, one with a pre-assessment nurse and one with a consultant anaesthetist. I have Multiple Sclerosis and was having a relapse the day of my operation. Despite needing assistance to walk I was not offered a wheel chair to get from the ward down to the operating theatre. I didn't ask for one as I did not know how far we were walking, had I done, I would have asked. After the operation, the staff were very nice. The tea and toast, followed by lunch were all very good though I was embarrassed to be watched eating by 2 other patients who were still waiting for their operations. My discharge form prescribed paracetamol for 7 days but I was told that there were none to give me. I was told to keep my hand elevated in a manner that implied I should know to do so. No one offered me a sling to help me do this. As I have MS, this is tiring for me to do, so I have made myself a sling. Despite the information that I am 'immune compromised' being readily available on my notes and verbally from myself, I was not offered any antibiotic medication after my operation. When my bandages were removed 2 weeks later, again in the Scarborough clinic, my skin was tender and very itchy around the wound site. I complained of pain and was told that a person who had had the same operation on the same day had no pain and to carry on taking my own pain killers. I asked about physiotherapy and was told I didn't need any. It is 3 weeks since my operation and yesterday I started on a course of antibiotics for a skin infection at the wound site. I feel let down by the doctors and specialists in the Orthopaedics Department. I started having problems with my hand 12 months before they did anything about it. The pain is still dismissed as arthritis despite the fact that I fell on it 3 times and broke bones in both my wrist and palm. On the whole, nursing staff I met were all pleasant and mostly helpful but I found the doctors and consultants in this department to be rude, off hand and dismissive. More than lacking in a bedside manner, they were lacking in patient care.