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No mobility advice or help

Posted By Kenmore

"No mobility advice or help"

About: Western General Hospital / Minor Injuries Unit

(as the patient),

I went for a CT scan at Western General Hospital. On my way back down the hill in the main corridor from DCN my knee buckled and I could no longer walk. My husband was with me and we realised I need something, at least to stabilise my knee, so at least that I could get home. So I struggled slowly hanging on to my husband and the walls, while my knee painfully hyper extended with each step.

So we thought perhaps the Minor Injuries Clinic may help. It took 20 minutes to get there. I was near crying by the time we got there. The Practitioner got me to explain my condition in the waiting room, in front of everyone. After I explained, the practitioner said that i did get here. The practitioner said they were just the Minor Injuries Clinic. How on earth am I supposed to know if this is Minor or Major? It happened in the hospital. The practitioner told me that they couldn't help me. I asked if I could have something to support my knee and the practitioner said no.

The practitioner didn't consult anyone, look at my knee, nothing. They sent me away with no care or compassion. So, in tears and upset, I was panicking about getting home which is an hour on the bus.

So, falling about everywhere and in pain with my knee joint going back the way, I left the hospital. It took 30-40 minutes to get to the bus stop and the bus driver needed to lower the step. I have had an MRI on my spine now and am literally housebound because I have no devices or anything to help with my mobility. I am falling regularly at home. I don't even have an appointment to get my MRI results. I am living in a current nightmare that I have needed to contact social work for, because I have a son to care for.

Can someone please give me a crutch or walking stick or anything? Its been four weeks now with no mobility and my leg is no better! Surely mobility is an essential issue for nurses to realise and a bit compassion too.

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Responses

Response from Jeannette Morrison, Head of Patient Experience, NHS Lothian 8 years ago
Jeannette Morrison
Head of Patient Experience,
NHS Lothian

Submitted on 29/10/2015 at 09:19
Published on Care Opinion at 10:37

HI there

I am really sorry to read of your experience. It sounds as though you had a really difficult time.

This is not the level of service we would want our patients to receive from the Minor Injuries Service. I would encourage you to contact your GP and I hope that you will already have done this and that you are receiving the appropriate care and now have your results.

I hope that you are now feeling better.

KInd regards

Jeannette Morrison

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by Kenmore (the patient)

Thank you for your response and your kind words. I am still awaiting my results despite phoning and emailing. Apologies for my writing, I have a previous disability in my arm. My mobility has actually got worse and this is a very frightening experience.I am awaiting on an OT visit. Hopefully they can at the very least provide me with a walking stick. I have contacted my GP about my treatment.

The fact is that I lost my mobility in that hospital, while I was attending as an outpatient.

I feel that the nurse practitioner could have helped me with a walking stick or a crutch, if she couldn't help.

I just can't wait to find out what is wrong and finally get treatment. Until then, I am falling all over the place and hurting myself. I will need to use patient transport for my next appointment, which I don't have yet either. I am living in a horrible depressing limbo with no mobility.

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