"It is reassuring to know that this level..."

What I liked

My husband was in for 6 weeks with a spinal abscess. There were initial problems in A&E with the diagnosis which I know was difficult to make due to lack of resources, and he was treated as a slipped disc. . His referral for an "urgent" community MRI scan still took nearly 10 days with acute, barely managed pain. Eventually after he collapsed at home and was admitted with septicaemia and had an inpatient MRI scan next day, His subsequent management on D2 and then B4, was given efficiently and with sympathy, care and respect, and as a nurse who used to work there. I was proud of the team, It is very different receiving rather than giving care.

I partcularly liked the fact that although his care was being monitored by the highly specialist NeuroSurgical team at Salford Royal, he was actually being treated near our home in Bolton

What could be improved

He should have had the MRI scan when he first attended A&E 27.08.2010 instead of being given 2 days rehabilitation in nursing care then sent home to his GP who referred him 01.09.2010. Blood tests had suggested some unexplained low level inflammation when he attended A&E. He was given a community appointment 09,09,2010 but collapsed that morning with septicaemia and was admitted.

Anything else?

Our first attendance in A&E when he just had acute lower back pain was at 2am Friday morning when staff were all very busy on a Bank Holiday weekend. Treatment (analgesia) and support was given with sympathy and respect but no apparent interest shown in the cause of the pain. It was just presumed to be a slipped disc without even an x ray and their main worry was his high blood pressure!.

Our second attendance in A&E at 2pm on a Thursday afternoon when he was more obviously very ill and septicaemic, was certainly managed with more urgency. However, in the next 24 hours he was on a vitual conveyor belt through the hospital and with poor liaison between each seconded team until he was sent back to D2 to have his acute treatment very well managed over the next week. His next 5 weeks was on B4 which was also very well managed despite a being a very busy ward with quite poor and old resources . We are very gratefulAbscessesHypertensionSlipped discOpening hoursReferralsRehabilitationDiagnosisPatient careConsultantsAppointments