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My experience as a family member

Posted By Charb

"My experience as a family member"

About: Fairfield General Hospital / General medicine

(as a relative),

Dear ward 11a,

Please take your time out to read of my experience tonight visiting my mother who is in rebilitation after suffering a stroke, who has lost mobility on her left side. My mother is unable to use the toilet herself so she requires a bed pan and is completely distraught at this, more than anything else. My mother request female only doctors to put her on the bed pan and to change her in which I feel is understandable and she is completely in her rights to have this request/wish met by nurses. Tonight I had a horrible, most uncomfortable experience whilst sat outside next to the front desk whilst waiting for my mother to use the toilet. Near the front desk stood around 4 nurses having a discussion about wanting to go for their tea and was getting rather annoyed with each other because they had to assist in giving a patient controlled drugs which meant the nurses couldn't go on their break as patients needed them. They continued to speak and complain about my mother only wanting female nurses right in front of me, in which I retaliated. This is utterly disgusting as the patients are vulnerable enough having been through a stroke and losing mobility they once had and not to mention for myself to sit and listen to them complaining about my own mother when we are all going through one of the worst times of our lives! I do not expect this level of unprofessionalism from a hospital that is supposed to have a good reputation. Although I understand the job is extremely difficult I do not expect ward politics to be aired infront of families. Tonight I have returned home extremely upset having to leave my mother with staff who quite frank do not care to meet vulnerable patients wishes and I have lost faith in the nurses in ward 11a.

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Responses

Response from Stroke Association, Stroke Helpline, Stroke Association 7 years ago
Stroke Association
Stroke Helpline,
Stroke Association

Submitted on 18/10/2016 at 14:22
Published on Care Opinion at 16:39

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. We are 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. You may want to know more about stroke and its effects, be looking for practical information and support, or simply need someone to talk to. The Stroke Helpline is open Monday, Thursday and Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm and Tuesday and Wednesday: 9.00am to 1.00pm. The helpline number is 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 from our website www.stroke.org.uk/finding-support

We were sorry to hear of your mother’s stroke and experience on ward 11a. 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 Fairfield General Hospital on 0161 604 5897.

Finally, you can also find lots of information about stroke on our website at www.stroke.org.uk. You can read about our services 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 TalkStroke, our online forum where you can meet other people affected by stroke and share your experiences.

I hope that this is helpful and that you are now getting the support that your mother 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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