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23rd May 2023


- On the whole, the few staff we saw (there were far too few of them) were kind and empathetic, most doing their best to make Anthony comfortable. There were issues, but the paramedics were wonderful and we appreciate the exceptionally difficult environment everyone seems to be working in, with extremely poor facilities and very few staff, and we are deeply grateful that he eventually got a CT scan Issues included: - A 6-hour wait to see a Dr at 4am despite an emergency admission at 10pm: as far as we know, there was no handover about the recommendation that Anthony be booked in for a CT scan between paramedics, nurse cohort and Dr, and it wasn’t written up on his notes, causing unnecessary waiting/ suffering - had he gone straight to CT he would have been out in a much shorter time which would have been better for everyone - Anthony was given no LD support and waited for 9 hours in a brightly lit overflow corridor alongside unsupervised patients - one of whom unfortunately urinated on the floor beside Anthony’s bed (a situation that was not cleaned up all night which we feel was unsanitary and dangerous for all patients in the vicinity) - this patient also started walking towards Anthony’s bed (she was disorientated), and was bleeding as she’d torn our her drip - we persuaded her back into her own bed but had we not been there I’m not sure what would have happened as there we no visible nursing staff for long periods of time - Anthony was scared and tired but unable to rest as it was so light under the strip lights and hectic, with doors banging constantly and security staff talking loudly as they went up and down the corridor. We asked for somewhere quieter on several occasions but was told there wasn’t anywhere. - Anthony has arthritis in his knees so was in great discomfort on the bed that was provided (though a kind nurse did help to find a slightly more comfortable bed at 6am) - The facilities in the overflow corridor where Anthony was waiting overnight were very poor e.g., Anthony uses a CPAP machine and there was nowhere for this to be plugged in - We feel that the Dr did not investigate Anthony’s tummy properly via a physical exam despite our request for her to do so and they were reluctant to organise a CT for Anthony and tried to send us home to come back for an ultrasound the next day (again, this was at 4am - when we had already been waiting for 6-hours). However we were very grateful that a CT was eventually arranged - A cannula was fitted for taking bloods and the intention of administering pain medication and fluids but when checked (for the first time, many hours after being put in) in the early hours of the morning, it was found to be blocked. This was particularly frustrating because the needle and tubes had been irritating Anthony all night and prevented him from sleeping or lying comfortably, and neither were they providing fluids or pain relief - while again we’d like to stress that we’re so grateful for Anthony’s CT scan and appreciate the pressure the very few staff were under and the difficult circumstances everyone is forced to work in, we are very unhappy that Anthony was discharged without notes, advice for pain management, or the transfer of his notes/ scan results to his surgery, the New Medical Centre - we had to call and locate them to arrange this ourselves

Suggested improvements
- Anthony should have had a clear handover of care between paramedics and nursing staff - Anthony’s CT should have been written up to save needless inefficiency and suffering - we had no idea where we were or why, ‘nursing cohort’ means nothing to patients and you should be told why you are being put somewhere and what to expect next - patients with learning disabilities should receive reasonable adjustments as soon as possible - other adults can understand they are in a noisy corridor and try and sleep, Anthony could not rest for a second in the light and noise and I’m sure somewhere could be found to accommodate people with LD and autism at an already very stressful time - cannulas should be checked more often than every 6 hours - patients should be kept informed of who is looking after them, decisions about where to send them and why and should receive copies of discharge notes and advice on pain relief - discharge notes and scans should be sent to patients’ GP without them having to locate and chase them

Experience
Dignity/Respect
Involvement
Information
Kindness
Doctor communication
Communication nurse