Haven't posted in a while, but I haven't sunk into the depths of despair or anything as the pattern of recent posts might suggest, I've just had nothing to write about, and also I was fighting the depths if despair, a little bit, not about to drive off a cliff or anything, just prone to tears a lot. Glenn just loves living with me at the moment.
My family seems to be going through the ringer at the moment, my cousin (whose father is my uncle who died) was walking out of the solicitors office the day after the funeral last week and somehow managed to smash her ankle into teeny tiny pieces. She was taken to hospital and had an operation which has left her with three pins and a metal plate holding her together. Prior to the op though, her foot had to be manipulated into the correct position, this took three Drs, one on her thigh, one on her calf and one pulling her foot. She has had two children and said that she would give birth to ten more rather than go through that again, when I visited her in the hospital her face contorted with the memory of it. I think it really is time that someone gave her a break, 2006 is not working out so well thus far.
Gripe about the NHS 1 - Less than 12 hours after my uncle died someone from the hospital that treated him rang my cousin (his daughter) to ask if they were satisfied with the service. My cousin, quite rightly, told them she didn't feel ready to answer that question.
Gripe about the NHS 2 - Although she is in a room on her own, and we are grateful for that, she has no clock and TV's are hire only (£3 for 30 minutes). So she wakes up in the morning with no idea of the time, nothing to take her mind off what has happened to her and has to wait on average an hour for someone to come and take her to the toilet. I know that there are many, many people out there suffering much more because of this heamoraging organisation but how about this - stop paying people to call grief sricken relatives in the hope of preventing future litigous action and instead, put the money towards more nurses (auxillary or otherwise) to help people with their most basic needs, you know, like going to the toilet.
Just a thought.
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2 comments:
I must admit I found the NHS very much hit and miss in the care of my nan. The worst things we experienced was Miguel the non-English speaking nurse turning a machine off which was beeping without telling us why it was beeping and without really giving a shit. And my nan being told she couldn't have a cup of tea until the trolley came round, which was once a day.
The ward she ended up on before she died were much better though, and couldn't do enough for her.
However, when my uncle realised we hadn't had any of her jewellry returned he phoned the hospital, they said "Yea we've got all her rings here. You can come and pick them up if you like!" This was over a week after her death and the morning of her funeral. "Yes I think I'll come and get them now if thats OK". Fucking idiots.
During my uncles last hours he was clearly restless, my cousin David asked the Dr if they could give him any more pain relief, the Dr said that Uncle John would be barely conscious and not able to distinguish whether or not he was in pain.
My cousin took his hand and said "Dad, if you're in any pain, squeeze my hand", Uncle John squeezed David's hand so hard David thought he was going to break it.
Pain relief was administered, but really? David has absolutely no medical training whatsoever and it took him requesting medication and then proving it was needed before any was provided. Then they have the nerve to phone and ask if you're happy with the service? I know than the recently bereaved aren't usually taken seriously when complaining about standards of health care but fucking idiots is right.
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