78 year-old woman ejected from A&E at 0200
Her carer refused - she was still in hospital five weeks later
Not website author's wife above.
This is written as if published.
1
Our reporter went to Hereford Hospital to determine why an A & E group of medics would decide that a 78 year-old sick woman would be told to go home at 2 in the morning. That decision was met with refusal (by her husband) and she did not come out of hospital until five weeks later and had had an operation. It proves that this was ...... , an unsafe discharge.
2
On arrival c 1900 at the main hospital, there were scores of people and they extended to being on ambulance trolleys in corridors.
3
Her husband told us that while waiting, his wife was transferred to a hospital trolley - an ambulance man not associated with the case grabbed her feet and heaved her over. His wife screamed.
4
As if to highlight a bad experience, during her stay, an eternity ring was stolen.
Husband is one who is prepared to forgive (but cannot forget). On his website devoted to carers, he said that his thanks go to all staff in the Merlin Ward of Ross Cottage Hospital and to Redbrook Ward at Hereford Hospital. Also the ambulance men involved.
All this started in mid-November, 2014. In July, the couple went on a canal-boat holiday. However, illness struck.
5
The patient, now almost 79, was admitted to Worcester Royal Hospital (WRH) A&E on Tuesday 23 June and discharged from the assessment ward on Thursday 25. She waited alone in A&E for over two hours as her husband had to retrieve his car. Triage had been done. That routine obviously included the “What year is it?” questions and she did badly enough to warrant WRH to declare delirium. It then pushed her into a crowded waiting room to be forgotten. No offer of a drink or WC assistance. She is unable to drive her wheelchair.
However, husband thinks there is a balance of good and bad to be made. The patient spent two further days after A&E in the kind care of an assessment ward for which both are truly grateful
6
The husband was good enough to say thank you. He said the WRH assessment ward did a good job. A&E did a good job medically. It's the Government which needs to sort out staffing ratios etc. Problems such as identified might then be reduced in number, ideally in extent.
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7 The good news
Someone senior in social services who has helped me beyond the call of duty for over a year was willing to process a formal complaint against Hereford Hospital. After a lot of thought I thanked her but declined. It would be forgotten about the next day until either my wife and I reappear at A&E.
Another dimension is - the Dr was following rules, bless her cotton theatre socks.
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