Share review of St Mark's Hospital

St Mark's Hospital 2017-03-23 Person 4 5 0

I saw my consultant in clinic 3 weeks after my operation. He was extremely helpful and I admire him a lot. Unfortunately due to inept scheduling by St Marks I have been left with an in-dwelling Foley catheter which cannot now be removed quickly and easily because of the risk of urinary retention - I must now wait for the hospital to give me an appointment in the urinary clinic when it feels it can spare the time. The catheter is uncomfortable and keeps me awake at night and nobody has at any time given me adequate instructions and guidelines about how to deal with the catheter, avoid infection and treat infection. Adequate care would have involved (a) informed consent at the outset, warning of the hazards associated with catheterisation (b) proper going-home guidance about catheter care, which was entirely absent (c) a timely appointment for catheter removal. My experience of St Marks throughout my treatment involves long periods of being forgotten about and not knowing whom to phone to chase progress.