NHS Again

Re: NHS Again

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 23:20:08 GMT

Jax , that is awful!!!!,

I tell you something I always use that line on the clients who moan about results and how long they take.......I tell them that just as well it's not the NHS, you would be waiting a helluvu lot longer than a week to ten days on biopsy results

Re: NHS Again

Jax — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:19:06 GMT

I hope all is ok... Even if you wernt a VN you would still know that using contaminated dressing materials was wrong why does'nt she!! Thats awful!

The NHS are not on my good list at the moment either... My mum has just been diagnosed with cancer (last wednesday) and they have had the results for 6months and noone told her... She had a lump removed from her head and then another one... did not recieve any histology results and as she said no news is good news.. even though i told her to contact them! Within that 6 months without knowing she has had another lump come up!!! It makes me so angry as they are playing with peoples lifes here.... do they not realise!!

She is having a full body scan within 4 weeks... im sorry as they have not told her for 6 months they should fit her in sooner than that!!

Re: NHS Again

Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:49:36 GMT

I understand fully. At least you're there for backup if they need you...xx

Re: NHS Again

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:19:25 GMT

Kate many thanks and as much as l would like to l can not because of my folks, more specifically my Mum. I agree 100% as my Dad was there for the skin cancer clinic and has many health problems spent several months in hospital last year and nearly died at one point.

The thing is my mother (and my Dad but he is very very quiet) is old fashioned so l can not complain dr's and nurses are god not able to do wrong etc etc. They may get vindictive and be nasty to my parents or they may used gods lightening bolt to strike them down. I have to live with major problems with my Mum as it is and while l joke about it to survive it is not easy.
Having said that l will be keeping a close eye on things. And on the positive note at least l was there and able to get the leg done not perfect but better than it was.

Re: NHS Again

Kate Claxton DipAVN(Med)VN — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:34:09 GMT

I think you should write and complain - if she's done it once, she'll do it again with potentially awful consequences. As a professional, she needs to be accountable for her practice, and have the issues around her poor practice addressed. As someone who is regularly doing dressings for cancer patients, we are required to set up and maintain an aseptic field. she should have been using sterile scissors and a sterile dressings pack on a trolley as you quite rightly say. Even using cheaper disposable gloves is not accepted practice: we are required to open glove aseptically. I work for a different Trust but I'm pretty sure the wound management policies are across the board nationally.

Re: NHS Again

Caro Laithwaite VN — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:04:23 GMT

I doubt you will stay hygienic Aingy, you came via the VN route!!.

Good news was that l took my folks back today so the plastic surgeon could check out my Dad for surgery and biop his lump.

Surgery on the face lumps will be local and day so no routine change there and the relief was that because he has scoliosis (spine bends downwards pushing his head down and slightly around) the Dr actually felt his carotid artery yesterday NOT any nodes. The Consultant surgeon had a really good hunt today.It is the fact that my Dad's anatomy is all to *** that caused the confusion.

And he thinks they can do a straight cut out with no plastic surgery needed again a big relief so he can stay on his medication and minimal pain as no patch of skin off his neck.

The "nurse" that put my dads dressing on was there and all smiles my Mum of course was bricking it at a) what l would say and B) that the "nurse" would be insulted l changed the dressing. So l come back from my haunt (toilet) and the "nurse" says oh was the leg bleeding under the dressing l put on?

I looked at her and said no l put on a proper dressing as my folks keep them at home so l just wet to dried it that he normally has, it seemed sensible.
She smiled and said oh good. and went off.
My Mum said that l should have smiled and been nicer and lied that it was bleeding, also that if looks could shrivel l would have shrivelled the "nurse".

For a start l thought l had smiled, and l told the truth, saw no need to lie, just witheld my full statement,. and l had just been tucking into a good book and get irritated when l have to interrupt my reading.

Re: NHS Again

Angiy Michael — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:47:59 GMT

That is pretty appalling a number of levels..at the very least the you would think a negligent nurse would be aware of their OWN biosecurity. I have to admit to watching in horror as a nurse in A&E began to place sutures in a VN friend's profusely bleeding arm without gloves..although I am afraid I couldn't button it..the VN in question had also just recovered from "holiday" hepatitis so getting her blood all over your hands was not ideal...where do you start with people with this approach its awful ! Fingers crossed if I do manage to get on to my Adult Nursing course in autumn I don't suddenly gain hygiene amnesia !

Re: NHS Again

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:24:20 GMT

Hi Caro, I second that, I hope theya re all ok.

You know my feelings on the hygiene etc in the NHS, due to Garys SAwn off thumb last year,,,,,, I did let rip though,not only at the disgusting habits, but also at the incompetence of 1 nurse in particular, who to me had never put a dresing on in her life.

Garys thumb became infected, and a few on here have seen the pics, the Dr who I pointed out the infection too, said he was not convinced there was any infection!!!!!, he was not letting the fact that it was oozing pus convince him thats for sure

Re: NHS Again

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:13:27 GMT

It is really hard not to comment isn't it? I watched my Dad go through 8 years of cancer treatment, and some of the situations I saw horrified me. Hygiene is non-existent in a lot of NHS wards. But I found it was the lack of communication/information that was the worst. Mum and Dad never really understood what was happening, and why.

I hope the biopsy and then the results are OK.