Dr Seema Brij 2018-06-29 Person 1 5 0

My husband, who is being treated for lung cancer by Dr. Hollingdale , Oncologist at Peterborough Hospital, was admitted from A&E yesterday to be under the care of Dr. Seema Brij on B12 ward. Presenting symptoms leading to our arrival at A&E were unexplained breathlessness and O2 saturation levels in the low 80's dropping to as low as 69 on a finger oximeter, when recent CT scans showed a shrinking of the tumours in his lung and adrenal gland. Concern was raised as to the possibility of pulmonary embolism as my husband also suffers from atrial fibrillation and is on anticoagulation therapy., His most recent INR results were low over the past couple of weeks, raising the risk of an embolism. Oncology made a referral to a respiratory technician's assessment which we had 2 days ago, and she prescribed a portable oxygen concentrator, which we were supposed to get yesterday. A call came from the supplier that it would be only today they would be able to supply this, but due to my husband's obvious distress at his inability to breathe in enough oxygen, we were told by our local doctor on call to take him to A&E. He was given a chest x-ray, blood tests, and repeat CT scans to rule out pulmonary embolism, increase in tumour size, or other contributing causes and he was put on O2. From A&E he was transferred to Ward B12, under the care of Dr. Seema Brij. When I went to visit my husband today, I asked what diagnoses they had reached, if any, and what the treatment plan was, based on the results of the examinations. The nurse looking after him could not give me much information, so I had to wait to speak with a doctor. First a Bulgarian doctor came to say that the CT Scan ruled out a PE but there were some shadows that could 'possibly' indicate an infection, so they had considered antibiotics, but since there were no other signs for an infection, they would continue to investigate and not discharge my husband home without some answers. Then Dr. Brij appeared. She stormed in, didn't say who she was, just proceeded to tell me that my husband had heart failure, she was treating him with furosemide and he was being discharged home tomorrow (Saturday) WITHOUT supplementary oxygen! Her reasoning is that because his O2 sats this morning were 94, he no longer needs oxygen! When I started to question her reasoning she was extremely short with me, and I felt treated like I was an idiot, not someone who knows her husband and his recent presenting symptoms, and as if my questions and information were irrelevant. When I questioned how she came to that conclusion, she proceeded to tell me that he had swelling of his lower extremities and pitting oedema, but I had been on the look-out for that when we were at home, and I could not see evidence for same, unless it 'suddenly' appeared ONLY when she was examining him! I come from a medical family, worked in a hospital geriatric ward as a neuropsychologist, so I am familiar with symptoms of O2 desaturation, heart failure, pitting oedema, furosemide and its uses, and also know that when I measured my husband's O2 sats at home both resting and after some movement, such as repositioning himself in bed, they were consistently low and he was in great distress. She attributes ALL of his low O2 stats to the heart failure and feels that it is now completely resolved as the "morning reading was 94, and I'm not going to treat low O2 readings after exertion, ONLY resting O2 sats count." She did not hear and refused to listen to my account of his RESTING O2 sats over the past two weeks and refused to consider prescribing a portable concentrator for him. She loudly proclaimed "I'M THE CONSULTANT HERE!" and stormed out. After she left, the nurse came to take my husband's O2 sats and although he had been resting in bed, on oxygen for at least the 2 1/2 hours I had been with him, and treated with the furosemide that Dr. Brij said was adequate treatment, his saturation levels ranged from as low as 84 to only as high as 88! Certainly not in the 'normal' range, but low. My father was a physician, and would have been horrified to see this doctor's behaviour toward the family of patients. She refused to consider any other explanations for my husband's distress, dismissed any suggestions for further investigations out of hand, and refuses to consider supplemental oxygen, to both my husband's and my distress. It's her way or the highway! I would love to be able to trust that this explains all of my husband's breathlessness, but given the circumstances, the way the information was presented - no questions allowed, this is the way it is - I am left wondering if we will find ourselves back at A&E after another horrible night where my husband is struggling for air. This would be such a waste of money and duplication of service than another couple of nights more in hospital where all the investigations that could be carried out, would be carried out! This was just my experience. The patient in the bed next to my husband is also under her care and he also didn't have any good things to say about her...