"Bad experiences on the ward and now I don't know where I stand"

I have unfortunately been a patient in Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and my experience has left me so upset and stressed that I will never use it again.

I came to pre assessment clinic at the beginning of February, and told the nurse about a problem with my groin and that it would be impossible to perform pci in that area as it would cause me a lot of post op problems. I was assured the procedure would be done through the wrist. (Had no problem at all with the procedure through wrist for angiogram at Warrington). She also booked me a bed for an overnight stay, as I am widowed and live alone.

So all geared up for an overnight stay, I paid for a kennel for my pets for the one night, and informed my neighbours to keep their eye out on my house etc., My family had all re arranged their schedules to look after me from Friday my expected date of discharge.

I arrived as planned to the day ward. I admitted to feeling a little nauseous and told the auxiliary nurse when i was asked. From then on, I was shouted at, ridiculed and made to feel a leper. The staff nurse shouted at me for coming into the hospital "sick", i could infect everyone, and they was going on holiday and didn't want to catch anything. Yet a doctor said I did not have any infection it was probably nerves and also being diabetic lack of food and metformin. But this nurse was determined they were not going to have me on the ward. Then there was a problem, the consultant doesn't use the wrist method for pci's so I was told I was going home.

Then a registrar came, looked at my leg and said no we can't do it through your groin because of infection (I have hidradenitis suppurtiva) and he was going to speak to the consultant to have the procedure re-scheduled. So I texted my nearest and dearest and said i was coming home.

Then the registrar told me I was going to have the procedure, there and then, I had not been properly prepped i.e. had not had any cannula in, was not offered any sedation, because by this time i was so stressed and disheartened i was trembling. The nurse didn’t ring a porter to get me a chair, so I walked to the cath lab with the registrar, who was very kind and considerate, as was all the nursing staff in the lab.

I returned to the ward, where I was cared for by a wonderful auxiliary nurse called Clare, the staff nurse who was my named nurse never came near me. At 4p.m I was told I would be going to A ward and it clearly stated that on the board in the nurses station, which I could see from my bed. At 5p.m. I was told I was going home. I was shocked! The auxiliary who was on the ward said who will be looking after you when you get home I said from tomorrow my family, but I lived on my own. She went into the station and told the staff nurse, and I, and all the other patients heard her response. She's got a phone hasn't she, she can put it by her bed. No reason was given as to why suddenly I was going home. Later when filling in some forms I was asked if i lived in a bungalow, whether I had a downstairs loo, the answer to both being no, and them saying well you can't be going upstairs all the time to the loo, so what was the alternative, wet myself. I was totally disgusted. Then later they said you will sleep better at home, and you might be coming down with something and we don't want the ward catching it. Despite a normal temperature, and no sign of an infection.

I don't know what medications I have to stop/continue, the consultant didn't visit me, he came on the ward spoke to a few and left.

I am still waiting for the dressing they was going to give me to take home and the cardiac discharge pack.

One thing is for sure, after my experiences I will never ever set foot in LHCH again, and no I won't recommend it to a friend, I will be telling them to avoid it like the plague. In my opinion the standards of the registered nurses who treated me were way down, thank goodness for auxiliaries.

I shall be telling my gp not to pay in full any bill he receives, to cancel food, nursing care and overnight stay - they were zilch.

I don't know where I stand, what I can and can't do, and will wait now until the cardiac nurse gets in touch and ask her. I can't get an appt with my gp practice until March. Nobody checked my medication despite me having to take it in, nor asked if i needed any painkillers, which i did. I was totally ignored by this staff nurse and treated like a leper. I hope they had a good holiday, infection free, because they wouldn't catch anything from me.