General Chat

Dizzi, if we are talking about an NHS Hospital, does it not have a Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) - most hospital trusts have one, they will help you raise your concerns informally.

The way you were treated is totally unacceptable :-|

http://www.pals.nhs.uk/

Hope you feel better soon <3

I think her behaviour is disgusting...What happens if you fall on the floor, do they just leave you there as they are not allowed to pick you up because of their backs :-S...
I had a similar situation along time ago when I was suicidal, I had got very drunk and went to step off the cliffs in Brighton but a policeman grabbed me just as I was stepping over...They took me to hospital and I overheard a male nurse say "drunks get treated last if at all, we just leave them to sober up, they are a waste of space"....I made a complaint and got a letter of apology, well if you could call it that...They basically made excuses....

I feel that you should complain as they are supposed to be there to help not criticize..

Jules x

Get somebody to bring in a small voice recorder as used for dictation etc. It will hold hours of voice - cheap on eBay. Get the recordings == evidence. Then complain. Watch them jump like fleas.

Good advice from OneFootinTheGrave regarding PALS.

Most hospitals have this service and would be your first step in lodging your complaint.

They should supply you with a form to complete to register your concerns.

Wish you well

Jo

I think Dizzi it may not be the fault of the nurse, this happens at the hospitals in Nottingham, they have to obey the rules.
Probably something to do with the "compensation culture vultures". :-(
Or maybe, Elf an Safety issue. :-)

Try asking the nurse, if she`s not allowed to help.

It's the fault of the nurse the way she spoke to Gwen and about Gwen.

As I said, dreadful cow.

I can understand the original refusal (know a paramedic who now has back trouble from trying to lift a patient) but surely there was another nurse who could have been also asked to help? And the later, comments - completely unacceptable. Hope that nurse is in a similar situation herself sometime and is treated in the same way.

Yes, Dizzi, complain.

Edie: actually you have already complained - your post is probably on Google by now.

Dizzi - PALS as other have said, is the way to go.

Guinevere,
I was addressing the not helping patients out of bed to the loo etc, NOT the attitude problem the nurse seems to have.

Actually, not all nurses so unhelpful - as an outpatient last week, I had to get on and off a trollies for examinations and tests. I have arthritis in my knees so it is a bit difficult to do. Different nurses both times but they both helped me.

There was no need for her to have to lift you off the bed,,,,,you are taught how to assist on a one to one to move someone alone.,,,,,,you are told always call for further assistance when a call needs more than one assistant.

You are also taught the quality of patient care.

Seek out PALS and also your PD nurse.....if you dont make a formal and loud complaint then it leaves the way for other patients to be treated the same.

I am surprised you are asking if you should complain, it's obvious you HAVE to.

You have the right for the complaint to be written into your notes (I have had this done for my daughter before). That backed up by letters means there should be no denials.

If you were having difficulty getting out of bed the OT should have seen you and offered advice as to whether you could manage and how to do it or whether you couldn't manage and nurses would HAVE to assist you.

Get on and do it Dizzi not just for yourself but for others who may be subjected to the same rudeness and lack of care. Then I'd trip the nurse up with your sticks

:-D

Perhaps it might be better, with the benefit of hindsight, to see if there was anything that could have been done differently. Was there anyone you could have spoken to about your concerns before this situation arose.

If this nurse, and I am not excusing her attitude, had been informed before you had to ask for help, knew your medical condition, knowing that she had been instructed to assist might have dealt with the problem in a different way. For example she could have asked the male nurse to help her to assist you if she thought it too hard a job for one person.

Instructions come better from a person in charge than from patients. I am no way condoning the nurses attitude but just saying there might be another way of dealing with the problem to make things better for you if you had to go in hospital another time. -jl

Dizzy, you must complain ,it's happening far to much in some hospital

I have already told you that you MUST complain about your treatment.

I know that now you are home you might think it too late, or that you will get treated badly if you go back in, but it was not as if you wanted physically lifting, just helped to get into the right position to get off of your bed & then assisted getting to the loo & back.
I will write letter if you want & email it to you.

Also it is not a nurses place to throw derogatory remarks at you......that in its self is cause for a firm complaint.

There is an urban myth that all nurses and hospital personnel are Angels, OK some are but for a significant proportion it’s just a job they don’t rush back when they should be going somewhere after work like the staff at “Holby” on TV. They just clear off as soon as they have finished.
A young relative of mine has just had a baby in an NHS hospital she found the staff off hand and one cleared off home without finishing her pain relief, there were only two she came across that were really lovely and seemed to care.
If possible perhaps get a visitor to complain on your behalf , I know how difficult it makes you feel when you are “at their mercy” but I hope you can get some improvement in your situation.
Best wishes,
Mayfield

The thing to do Gwen, is to cry your eyes out, then when someone asks what is the matter, between sobs tell them what happened and how much it has upset and concerned you......I bet they sit up and take notice then :-)

Complain!

Put it through the PALS, there is probably a link on the hospital website. My brother works in the NHS and his advise is to keep the first contact short. Expain briefly what the complaint is about and ask for an explantion of why it happened and to also ask for a metting to discuss. You can fill the details in when the hospital contacts you. Our local hospital has 25 working days to respond.

Andy

Do what your friends are telling you to do Dizzi. It has to be reported and if you are worried about doing it yourself, your friends on here will do it for you and the sooner the better. Don't leave it too late.

GP