"Overall the quality of care was exceptional. However we feel the discharge care could do with being improved."

My wife was admitted to A&E at the Whittington in North London with suspected viral meningitis. Overall the quality of care was exceptional. However we feel the discharge care was poor and could do with being improved. As follows:

[a] The discharge summary noted my wife had bacterial not viral meningitis

[b] My wife was prescribed Tramadol. She was not assessed for the risks associated with taking Tramadol - eg: mental wellbeing assessment, which we understood should have happened. She was not advised of the addictive nature of the drug nor the impact of reducing usage safely.

[c] At the GP outpatient appointment, my wife then found out that the GP was to learn of the full diagnosis two weeks hence, ie: whether she had the recurrent strain of viral meningitis. This occurred after she had stopped taking Tramadol under the circumstances noted in [b].

[d] Following the lumbar puncture, which was necessary to determine which type of meningitis she had, she did not receive any post care advice - advisable postures to aid the healing following the procedure as well as what sort of pain profile to expect and for how long following discharge.

Most of our supporting advice came from friends and from a meningitis support charity.