I was admitted to the A&E of BGH where I was assessed and transferred to Ward 5 with a diagnosis of Sepsis. The staff in both A&E and ward 5 were efficient and very good indeed. Unfortunately, after a few hours, my condition deteriorated and I was transferred to ITU.
I cannot praise the professionalism and care I received in ITU enough. The staff here, (and I include the staff in A&E and ward 5 as well) are a credit to the hospital.
After a few days I was transferred to Ward 4. This is where I felt cracks began to show in the staffing at BGH.
I was in Ward 4 for 3 nights and days. I cannot speak for other rooms within the ward, I was in a 6 person room, but the staffing levels for nightshift were not just inadequate; but provided a very poor level of care.
I was supposed to be on 3 IV bags every 4 hours. My medication was late every evening due to lack of staff. E.g. I was supposed to be given antibiotic IV's at 2100hrs. I eventually received them at 0130 hrs!
The staff themselves were very good, but unfortunately they only have one pair of hands and so cannot do everything.
In my room, some of the other patients had been waiting in uncomfortable positions for nearly 3 hours to be prepared for bed, and every time they asked for help, they were told that someone would see them shortly. I eventually began to get annoyed with this situation and ended up going down to the end of the ward myself, and insisting something was done about them immediately.
4 staff to look after the whole ward as well as deal with unruly patients, make IV's for 11 patients and look after the other patients in the ward is a not enough. I felt extremely sorry for the overworked nurses on night shift in this ward.
I really hope something can be done about the staffing in ward 4, as the staff are trying to do a good job. Apparently this is a long standing problem.
My care in general was very good and the medical staff were excellent, even in ward 4, but something needs to be done with the staffing levels before mistakes are made and someone gets hurt.
"Staffing levels for nightshift were inadequate"
About: Borders General Hospital / Accident & Emergency Borders General Hospital Accident & Emergency TD6 9BS Borders General Hospital / Cardiology Borders General Hospital Cardiology TD6 9BS
Posted by dlssks (as ),
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