Share review of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital 2016-06-10 Person 3 5 0

The nursing care on Ward 2b is on the whole quite good. However, because I was an outlier on the ward, staff were not in a position to offer me specialist care or advice. I was placed on the ward on 10th June at 1.30am after an emergency admission through A&E and was awaiting orthopaedic treatment for a dislocated hip, a total hip replacement done in May 2014 (due to severe arthritis in my right hip). I am normally fit & well but had had 2 accidents in 1 week meaning I arrived on Ward 2b (an ENT ward) with my left wrist fractured & in plaster and my right hip dislocated. I was in extreme pain from the hip. This pain increased after ward staff declined extra oramorph when I asked for pain relief saying I had had too many opiates & they were concerned about my breathing rate. My hip also moved again when I used a bedpan resulting in more pain, eventually I was given tramodol but it was not effective. I felt this was largely due to staff being inexperienced in this type of pain and not willing to risk giving the medication I needed at that time. Also, despite being immobilised with severe pain, unable to move around or get out of bed, and having a plaster on my left arm, I was not offered an assisted wash. I had been on the ward from 1am and a procedure to manipulate my hip under anaesthetic was done in theatre at about 1.00pm. Eventually at about 6.30pm I asked for a bowl so I could wash, this was given, and a towel and wipes, but it took me nearly an hour. I had quite a good night, was allowed to get up in the morning and able to weight bear and walk slowly. There was a stiff leg brace on my right leg. I found I was not able to use the toilet on the ward although it had handrails, because there was no room to sit on it with my leg extended, and the seat was too low. There wasn't a seat raiser available. Twice I went outside the ward to use the hospital disabled loo on the ground floor. I needed a "reacher" tool to put my clothes and shoes on unaided but hadn't got one. However I was not too concerned because I felt I didn't need to stay on the ward and would be able to find what I needed to maintain privacy & dignity at home. I needed more information about exercise and movement and a review appointment. I had told a ward nurse I needed to be seen and would like to go home but there was no sign of anyone coming to review me. The only advice or information I was given was "keep leg brace on for 6 weeks". At 1.30pm (11th June) I wanted to speak to a nurse but couldn't find one. I then walked up to the orthopaedic ward 3b after unsuccessfully trying to phone them. I got onto the ward but the nurse I spoke to there was rude and dismissive. She was not interested in listening to my request for information or contact from the team and also misunderstood my need for a "reacher" tool saying my ward nurse would have to refer me to Social Services. Then I returned to ward 2b where I asked another nurse if she could help, explaining the problem. She listened well and thanks to her I did eventually get to see an orthopaedic SHO, but did not see a physio, received absolutely no advice or information from the orthopaedic team except to reiterate I must wear the awful slippery uncomfortable leg brace for 6 weeks. I was pretty shocked at the laissez-faire attitude of the orthopaedic team after the manipulation procedure because the opposite was true when I had the hip replacement in 2014. Care and follow-up then was absolutely exemplary. In 2016 I found follow-up and information in the hospital not only lacking but actually withheld. The SHO after being bleeped 6 times only contacted the ward nurse Karen Elliott because she phoned his registrar. SHO then refused to come & see me saying I must be seen by a Physio first. There were no physios available after 12pm on Saturday which Karen had ascertained by contacting the ward. There was an on-call physio for emergencies who refused to come and see me saying "anyone could document whether she is mobile". After a considerable standoff between these two I said I'd self discharge as I was fed up with trying to get a proper discharge & advice. That was at 4.15pm. The SHO then arrived at 4.30pm to complete a discharge but was not willing to give me any advice on safe movement or exercise and he said I should phone the physios the next day (which was a Sunday). Ward nurse Karen Elliott not only did her absolute best for me and tried to get me the attention from the team I required but also throughout her time on the ward was responding to and kindly dealing with many other patients. If all the nursing staff were as good as her there would be nothing but praise for Gloucester Royal but unfortunately as I experienced at times, that is not the case. PLEASE NOTE - I prefer not to disclose my ethnic group. There is no box to tick for my choice.