"Problems with my mother's care at Tameside Hospital"

My mother was admitted to Tameside Hospital on one Friday in early May and placed on ward 43. She was admitted with a kidney infection but also has underlying health problems such as arthritis, osteo arthritis and spondylitis which means that she is in constant pain and has limited movement.

Everything was fine until the Saturday, when she wanted a commode. Unfortunately she has been sat in a low chair all day and couldn’t get up. What happened next was frightening. They tried 2 pieces of equipment to help her get up which was unsuccessful but in the end they managed to get her into the bed. They then tried to put her on a bed pan which meant that she had to be rolled from side to side which is very very painful and she was screaming in pain and she was also frightened that she was going to fall off the bed. You can imagine how we felt at hearing all this going on! ! When we were allowed back into the cubicle she was quite upset, but the staff agreed that it was because she was in a chair that was too low. The day after I received a phone call from my mother to say that a large blood blister had appeared on her leg at the bottom, but not to worry as the doctor would be round that day to check on her. We arrived for our afternoon visit and she again was sat in a chair with the injury on display. Imagine our shock when a huge angry red lump the size of a cricket ball was there. I spoke to the nurse who advised us that the doctor said that it was just a blood blister and it wasn’t anything really to worry about. In my opinion this injury was obviously obtained whilst she was being manhandled the day before and she had banged her leg. My mother has very delicate skin and sometimes even the slightest touch can cause bruising. Her arms were also covered in finger mark bruises. The day after it was bandaged up and we were advised that once she was discharged then the District Nurse would deal with it.

She was discharged on the following Wednesday. The wound then started to seep and was then dressed by the District Nurse. When my mother left she also had very swollen legs and was given water tablets. On Sunday following her discharge we had to call the District Nurse out as my mother complained that she had a burning pain in her leg. The Nurse didn’t look at it but did advise that her legs should be up to reduce the swelling. I told her that she hadn’t been advised about this by the hospital and she had spent all her days in a chair with her legs down to which she replied that the nurses were very busy! ! It takes 2 minutes to raise someone’s legs. Since my mother has been discharged she has had a bad fall and severally cut her other leg for which we had to call an emergency ambulance. My mother begged us to and them to take her to Stepping Hill as she would rather be treated at home than go back to that place (her words not ours). She was granted her wish and she went to Stepping Hill.

What a difference a journey makes. My mother was treated with dignity whilst in A & E, She was not treated like this at Tameside A & E. In fact most of the staff we saw seemed to either be eating or laughing and joking, which I find really insensitive. Anyway my mother was then transferred to the AU at Stepping Hill where she was seen by other doctors who were more concerned about the injury she had received at Tameside. She was also found to have an infection and possible liver problems! She was visited by a surgeon who advised that the BLOOD CLOT would have to be removed as it would not heal by it being left with a dressing on! My mother has now had this removed and is more comfortable.

The main points to this complaint is that my mother sustained this injury which I believe could potentially have been life threatening and was just dismissed as nothing!

This is the third time my mother has been treated at Tameside. The first time, she fractured her hip and wrist (the wrist was set wrong! ) and received mediocre care with some staff giving us the impression that everything was too much trouble. The second time she managed to get sent to Blackpool as there were no ICU beds available, but they were excellent and then this third time! There will not be a fourth time.