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Recent stay in Dr Grays - Elgin.

Posted By Bitsy

"Recent stay in Dr Grays - Elgin."

About: Dr Gray's Hospital / General Medicine

(as the patient),

I was admitted for a 72hr fast recently. I had already been fasting for 12hrs by the time I arrived. Was shown to my ward and bed and told to unpack and wait to see my Dr. Within minutes I was told that a mistake had been made and the bed was needed for someone else so I had to move but unfortunately no bed was available for me.

I spent the best part of the day in the discharge lounge without having seen a Dr, waiting for a bed to become available. I got a temporary bed on the 23hr ward where staff were helpful and kind but at no point did my Dr discuss matters with me and I only spoke to them in passing in the corridor.

I wasn't asked any admission questions until that evening and was never issued with an admission tag (I thought this was standard procedure for in-patients). I fasted for 28hrs until I became sick, had tests taken but was told in the morning they would be costly and possibly a waste of time to send off so it seems to me that the whole exercise was a complete waste of time.

This is just one example of the poor treatment I have received at this hospital over the past few years.

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Responses

Response from Liz Tait, Professional Lead for Clinical Governance, NHS Grampian 11 years ago
Liz Tait
Professional Lead for Clinical Governance,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 12/06/2012 at 16:56
Published on Care Opinion at 17:28

I'm sorry you felt your recent admission to Dr Gray's hospital did not meet your expectations.

I'm sorry the bed was not available for you on the ward you were meant to be admitted too but I'm glad you were well looked after by the staff in the 23 hour ward.

Sometimes we do not have enough beds available for all the patients who present at the hospital in emergency situations which means the planned admissions like yours have to be either cancelled or alternative wards have to be found to " house" them. The consultant involved in your care was not keen to cancel your fasting but as you were not receiving any active treatment at that time the doctors were not perturbed about a lack of bed for you. As we did not know if we were going to find a bed you were never admitted and supplied with an armband until we were sure we could admit you.

I appreciate that you were not able to complete the test and this is the reason why the tests were not sent away. They would not have had the accurate reading required due to the time not being completed and therefore would be a waste of money. I understand from your consultant that they were able to gather enough information from the tests done on the ward and reassurred you prior to you leaving.

I see from your comments that you have not been happy with your care in the past and if you want to write to me at Spynie Hospital Elgin I would be willing to investigate your concerns in more detail.

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Update posted by Bitsy (the patient)

My apologies, I feel you have misunderstood the situation in that I was given a bed but then made to give it up to another patient despite NHS Scotlands strict policy on patient equality.

I was then admitted and also received medication without having, at ANY point during my stay, been issued with an armband.

I found it difficult to make an informed choice as to whether or not to continue with the fast despite having become sick as it was never discussed between myself and my consultant. I acted off the advice of the attending doctor in lieu of the lack of information provided and the attending doctor herself told me she could not accurately advise me in this matter.

Further to this I was told by my consultant that, in respect to a recent A&E admission, the monitors used to check glucose levels at the the lower end of the scale were unreliable. This would beg the question as to at which point would an accurate reading be forthcoming to indicate when tests would be viable for sending off as this was not a test based on time but one based on a sufficient drop in blood sugar levels.

Response from Liz Tait, Professional Lead for Clinical Governance, NHS Grampian 11 years ago
Liz Tait
Professional Lead for Clinical Governance,
NHS Grampian

Submitted on 14/06/2012 at 12:29
Published on Care Opinion at 15:17

As you have emailed me directly, I will respond to you privately.

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