Diana Princess of Wales Hospital

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-03 Person 3 5 0

I’m having problems with NHS system since December when I came to A&E. it’s a bit complicated but took me months to learn & months to suffer my heart becoming too damaged whilst waiting & wondering why nobody gave out simple remedial advice that could have prevented my terminal heart damage being so severe. Basically they found AF -very high heart rate. I didn’t know this till I read it on the discharge summary several days later. No patient care plan or self management advice is attached to this . That is my biggest complaint. Everybody in NHS thinks everyone else is responsible for doing this but nobody is doing it at all. It should be attached to discharge summaries for conditions that it applies to -at the point of diagnosis . Then patient knows immediately they need to start managing their own condition -in my case a chest strap heart monitor 24/7 as much as it takes for me to get general idea of my condition & it’s response or failure to medication administered- rather than 2 months useless medication , HR sky high & stretching left aorta & ventricle to cause mitral valve failure & 35% ejection fraction.

Recommend, for high heart rates presenting at A&E and in AF , that risks of stretched heart chambers apply to this condition. That there are reliable ways of general self assessment to self manage this to keep HR as low as practical & inform medics if it’s off scale (a scale NHS should state for rest HR & continuous activity HR) . That way a patient waiting 2-3months to see cardiology would already be limiting further damage prior to them discovering it. Also that Cardiology should be advising the above (which they defer from doing) & aware this information is auto attached to A&E discovering AF in high HR zones ( it took them 7 hours of double dosed bisoprolol to get mine below 100). Nobody explained the situation. Just pass problem to another ward who never use an ECG to monitor HR but rely on the totally inappropriate finger pulse oximeter to record AF heart rate. Patient (me) is clueless what’s going on & that nobody is monitoring escalated HR on 3 successive days. I came across this on repeat visits. Nobody uses ECG as standard record of AF heart rate. I discovered this myself after buying my own medical ECG & oximeter . Finger pulse 50 whilst ECG was 140 -after activity. Therefore nobody in hospital was monitoring or reporting AF was too high when discharged or that medication was ineffective-till months later in cardiology. Even then I went home & had no idea my own HR still was sky high another several weeks. Even the new medication was far too low & HR average >160 hours of every day - further ruining my heart beyond any possible recovery!! Far too late -I tested a Polar H10 chest strap linked to my phone against my 12 lead ECG for accuracy. This has become my information supply for controlling my own activity & checking efficacy of medication & it works. BUT ITS TOO LATE FOR ME. So please ensure it is not for others!!! If it was Covid you’d all be jumping to the tune. Risk aversion! You’re welcome.

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 2 5 0

In a room on my own for over an hour, no buzzer as it was broken, so was the bed. I came back from an X-ray, I started to struggle breathing and my chest was hurting. The porter said he would tell someone. No one came, I Shouted for help 6 times, staff were walking past my door, I managed to get off my bed and get to the door, slightly opened it, shouted for help. 2 nurses came, “ what!” I tried to explain, they said “we can’t come running to you just because you’ve got covid, sit on that chair and calm down, you’ll end up fainting and we’ll have to get you off the floor.”walked off and left me for another hour or so.

Everything. The room, the attitude of the nurses. Yes I was COVID positive but some reassurance and compassion would have been gratefully received. I must say that the Doctor that dealt with me was very professional, compassionate, polite.

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 2 5 0

I know it was busy but organisation needs addressing. Waiting to get booked in, one occupied chair only,had to hold onto barrier to support myself.some people sat on the floor. Seats not often wiped my seat had someone smoking other side of partition.

Look at ways to decrease waiting time, assess and direct/ zone better. Minor injuries units to take pressure off A&E eg change opening times.

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 4 5 0

Surprised at the speed and ease of care given.I would have liked a bit more information about my injury but that is the only negative I have.

Shared x Ray to show where fracture is

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 4 5 0

I was taken good care by the poppy team especially by Sally, Lauren (student midwife) and Amy. I couldn’t have asked for better midwives. They were so caring and compassionate. The doctors were also great. They kept me well informed.

I couldn’t fault the care that I received. My baby and I were well taken care of.

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 4 5 0

Very long wait but AE busy.

Considering it was very busy, nothing to improve. If staff had more time they might have had chance to discuss more.

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 1 5 0

After hearing a man say he had already been there 5 hours my son refused to stay and wait for treatment. On entry near the wait sign was blood all over the floor, drying up and not being cleaned up. A man was sat in a booth on the phone swearing. The whole place from parking to reception to walking out because of the wait was ridiculous.

Everything.

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 2 5 0

Had a 9month old baby and was waiting over an hour

The floor had bloodprint on it in the children waiting area and toilet.

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-02 Person 4 5 0

Absolutely lovely staff, all very friendly and knowledgeable

The area was drab with stains here and there, although it was clean

Diana Princess of Wales Hospital 2021-08-01 Person 2 5 0

I was on a trolley that couldn't be lowered, it was far too high for me. I bruised the backs of my thighs and calves getting off it to go to the loo. I was told there was no alternative. The buzzer in the room I was eventually put in didn't work so I'd no way of contacting staff to ask for water, to go to the loo etc. In the morning I was snapped at for asking if there would be something to eat so my anticoagulant pill (which I must take at the same time every day), wouldn't burn my stomach, and told "this isn't a ward". When I was being discharged and said I needed transport I was snapped at again and asked how I normally get around. I'm housebound due to chronic illness of 36 years standing and go out once a week (if well enough), with my support worker. I felt some staff treat patients as though they are a nuisance and that they don't understand that many disabilities are INVISIBLE. I was told I could get myself to the departure lounge. I was beyond exhausted I'd had 15 hours of symptomatic Afib, and no sleep, on top of the chronic illnesses that make me housebound (including multiple lumbar and cervical nerve root compressions and spinal stenosis), severe M.E. and Fibromyalgia which DO exist despite what ignorant clinicians and staff believe. The doctor asked for a list of my conditions and when she read it back to me neither M.E. nor Fibromyalgia were mentioned. This is unacceptable. M.E. has been recognised by WHO since 1987! It's time some clinicians realised that both conditions DO exist but can be extremely debilitating and isolating. Patients don't need further abuse when in hospital. M.S. was once dismissed as "hysteria" by doctors because they had "no clinical evidence". Would that be considered acceptable today?

Get beds that can be adjusted to suit each individual patients height. I'm disabled and shouldn't have to hurt myself everytime I get on and off the bed in order to get a drink of water and go to the loo! Make sure buzzers work, don't leave patients without a way of getting help. Educate staff on invisible disability. Educate staff in manners and more effective ways of communication. It makes life so much less stressful for everyone. Don't assume patients are over reacting, malingering and treat them as sub human.