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No rehabilitation after my father's stroke

Posted By Itsnotaboutme

"No rehabilitation after my father's stroke"

About: Princess Alexandra Hospital / General medicine

(as a relative),

After being taken to A & E with a suspected stroke, my father was left on a trolley for approx 5 hours. It was only when I complained that things started to move. He then had a CT scan, a stroke was confirmed and a bed was found on the stroke ward. He was on the stroke ward for approximately 3 days (when I asked the doctor what stroke treatment my father had been given I was told "aspirin" - not very inspiring) before being moved to a general medical ward, he then remained in bed for another 2 weeks before being discharged back to his residential care home.

Whilst on the stroke ward he was treated for a chest/urine infection - they were not sure which type of infection he had. He is now paralysed down the left hand side and requires help with pretty much everything, before he went into hospital he was still mobile although is suffering from severe dementia. He received no rehabilitation and I felt he was generally ignored during his time there, when I asked why they had not got him out of bed they felt it would be unsafe as he would fall to one side. Now he is back in the residential care home, he is sitting in a chair, albeit with a pillow to support him.

If felt as if the hospital just couldn't be bothered to invest the time he required. I experienced a nurse test his bloods without speaking to him to tell him what she was doing, no eye contact, no mention of his name, no smile - nothing. In my opinion, their understanding of how to deal with a dementia patient was woefully inadequate.

As his advocate, I asked the staff on many occasions to be consulted about the decisions that were being made around his care, but these requests were ignored, any information I received was due to the fact that I phoned in and asked how he was getting on, they did not contact me once.

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Responses

Response from Shahid Sardar, Head of Patient Engagement, Patient Safety and Quality, The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 11 years ago
We are preparing to make a change
Shahid Sardar
Head of Patient Engagement, Patient Safety and Quality,
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

give patients a voice

Submitted on 07/02/2013 at 00:33
Published on Care Opinion at 09:04

Dear itsnotaboutme,

I was really sorry to read your story because our goal is to strive to provide excellent quality care of the highest standard to local people and it's clear that this has not been the case for you or your father.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust is very much a local hospital and so when we are told by our patients or their families that things have not worked well, we take it personally and we will do anything we can to improve and learn from your experiences.

We would like you to feel that there is always someone at your local hospital who you can contact if you wish. Or you may choose to come along to the One Stop Shop. This open forum is held every Wednesday in the Boardroom near Maternity Services between 2pm and 3pm or you can simply give us a call on 01279 82 70 84.

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Response from Stroke Association, Stroke Helpline, Stroke Association 11 years ago
Stroke Association
Stroke Helpline,
Stroke Association

Submitted on 18/02/2013 at 17:29
Published on Care Opinion on 19/02/2013 at 12:23

18/02/2013

Our Ref: 156141

Dear itsnotaboutme

We were sorry to hear of your father’s stroke and that you do not feel that he received good care at the hospital. Although your post was 16 months ago, I understand that the hospital have posted a reply recently. It sounds as though the hospital is willing to look into your concerns but if you are still unhappy, 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 The Princess Alexandra Hospital on 01279 827211 or email them at pals@pah.nhs.uk.

The Stroke Association has posted this response as since December 2011, we are alerted whenever ‘stroke’ is mentioned on Patient Opinion. If you need information on stroke, you are welcome to contact our stroke Helpline. Our Helpline staff are there for anyone who has been affected by stroke in any way. We can offer information about stroke, practical advice and support, or simply someone to talk to. The Stroke Helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0303 30 33 100. You can also email us at info@stroke.org.uk

You may also find our website helpful. There is lots of information about stroke, including our range of leaflets and factsheets at www.stroke.org.uk.

Sandi Muckle

Stroke Information Service

info@stroke.org.uk

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