Bad hospital care while my aunt was dying

gazzer

Could anybody tell me how I would go about lodging a formal complaint with a hospital? My family really need to convey to the people in charge just how disgusted they are with the hospital treatment that my aunt received as she lay dying last week.

I was going to post this a few days ago but was still very angry so I waited until today as I am more calmer and rational in my thoughts.

My aunt was diagnosed with cancer of the lung in December 08. Unfortunately the cancer progressed to her bones, glands and eventually her brain. Last Tuesday she took a heart attack and stroke and after 2 hours of trying to reach her cancer nurse she was eventually taken into hospital.

From 3pm on Tuesday until 6pm on Wednesday she lay on a trolley in a cubicle in A and E. She didnt have one bit of piece and quiet. She was hardly monitored. We had to keep asking the nurses for help. Only 2 of us were allowed with her even though it was obvious the woman was dying and we wanted to be with her in her last moments. I was disgusted with the behaviour of the majority of the nurses. Some of them were lovely as were some of the doctors.

I pleaded with them to put her somewhere where she could live out her last hours in some privacy. I offered to pay for a private room. I rang the hospice and begged them to take her in but I was told there was proceedures in place and we would have to wait to see what the palitiative care team would say.

At 6pm on Wednesday she was taken to an observation ward. This ward was full of very old people many of whom seemed to be suffering from dementia. My aunt was in great distress and just couldnt relax. She begged to be able to be let 'go' and we begged the nurses to give her something to make her more comfortable. They gave her what medication they were allowed but we had to wait 3 hours for a doctor to administer stronger medication. At 2am on Thursday she fell asleep and was dead 3 hours later.

I am disgusted that this kind, caring woman who paid taxes all her life died in chaos and bad treatment. I want to make sure that this doenst happen to another family. My aunt is at peace now but I would hate to see another family suffer. From the nurses to the so called care professionals at the hospice who told us they would be there for us and were only a phone call away who we could never reach we need to formalise a complaint.

To add insult to injury when my aunt died the palitiative care lead gave us her number on Thursday morning and told us to call her any time and she was only a phone call away. We tried 6 times to reach her all day Thursday and eventually she rang back at 6pm.

Traumadoc

I am sorry for your loss, it is no way to treat anyone.
Write to the hospital manager.

foodaholic

I'd wright to the hospital director and the nursing director. Was it St James by any chance

tallaght01

You can write to whoever you want in the hospital.

But there's only so much they're going to be able to do about lack of beds, and insufficient staff.

Write to your TD about it, too.

Everyone should be doing this.

kelle

Oh, my God, that is just awful. Words fail me here, I just can't imagine what your aunt, or yourselves, went through. Your post has brought back awful memories.
I'm sorry to say it, but the care given to cancer sufferers in this country is appaling esp when the patient is in the final stages. What you said about the Palliative Care team is so typical. I know all about it, I've been through it with both my parents.
You could contact the palliative care dept the hospice, and the Director of Nursing at the hospital where your aunt died and ask why your aunt treated in this manner, then if you don't get any satisfaction write a letter to the hospital manager.

leeroybrown

Welcome to the HSE managed health service. I don't think that what you experienced is all that much worse than normal A&E experience.

A relative of mine collapsed a couple of months after a heart operation. They were brought into A&E and had to spend about 36 hours on a trolley waiting to be admitted for a heart scan that couldn't be performed until they were in a ward. The medical staff said that the only way they'd get admitted sooner was if someone in a ward died.

sorella

Makes home care seem more welcome?

I do not, obviously, know what is appropriate or available here; but have heard this kind of thing too often of late.

Blessings and peace to you in all this heartbreak.

leeroybrown wrote: »

Welcome to the HSE managed health service. I don't think that what you experienced is all that much worse than normal A&E experience.

A relative of mine collapsed a couple of months after a heart operation. They were brought into A&E and had to spend about 36 hours on a trolley waiting to be admitted for a heart scan that couldn't be performed until they were in a ward. The medical staff said that the only way they'd get admitted sooner was if someone in a ward died.

JuliusCaesar

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/health/how-health-is-organised/making-a-complaint-about-the-health-service-executive

But it's no good unless you complain to the politicians too. I wrote to Mary Harney about the crappy care a relative with cancer had - and didn't even get an acknowledgement from her. But write to *all* your TDs, County Councillors etc. It's their policies that are at fault.

gazzer

Thanks everybody for your advice and kind words. We will definately be writing to every TD and HSE managers etc that we can think of. I was debating wheter to ring the likes of Gerry Ryan or Joe Duffy. I wouldnt normally dream of ringing one of those shows but I feel so strongly about letting as many people as possible about the unreal conditions in our hospitals.

My mum (my aunts sister) actually took photos of my aunt as she lay on the trolley as they wanted evidence to show the conditions that she was in. I was looking at them yesterday and they were hard to look at as the pain of loosing her is still so raw but when we feel ready we will be using the photos as part of our complaint

tallaght01

gazzer wrote: »

Thanks everybody for your advice and kind words. We will definately be writing to every TD and HSE managers etc that we can think of. I was debating wheter to ring the likes of Gerry Ryan or Joe Duffy. I wouldnt normally dream of ringing one of those shows but I feel so strongly about letting as many people as possible about the unreal conditions in our hospitals.

My mum (my aunts sister) actually took photos of my aunt as she lay on the trolley as they wanted evidence to show the conditions that she was in. I was looking at them yesterday and they were hard to look at as the pain of loosing her is still so raw but when we feel ready we will be using the photos as part of our complaint

Just be aware that the staff may not be at fault here. It's pretty demoralising to have worked your ass off for 80 or 90 hours in the week, unable to give patients the care they deserve, and that you want to give, and then someone writes tot he papers about you.

Doctors and nurses aren't allowed a "right to reply". So, the doc isn't allowed to come on the Joe Duffy show and give his/her side of the story. I agree that the system is apalling, and that it's unacceptable. But there are people within that system who are working so much that their relationships and home life suffers.

I don't know anything about your case. But it sounds like you dealt with overworked staff. That's a problem. A big problem. But you should be careful to differentiate between an actual clinical mistake, and poor conditions.

ChewChew

Gazzer, You should also ring up the Patient Services dept of the hospital and make a formal complaint and they will then look into you. You should also make sure that your complaint goes to risk management. Writing to the hospital manager is not a bad idea, but just so you know that he/she will get the patient services dept on board.

gazzer

tallaght01 wrote: »

Just be aware that the staff may not be at fault here. It's pretty demoralising to have worked your ass off for 80 or 90 hours in the week, unable to give patients the care they deserve, and that you want to give, and then someone writes tot he papers about you.

Doctors and nurses aren't allowed a "right to reply". So, the doc isn't allowed to come on the Joe Duffy show and give his/her side of the story. I agree that the system is apalling, and that it's unacceptable. But there are people within that system who are working so much that their relationships and home life suffers.

I don't know anything about your case. But it sounds like you dealt with overworked staff. That's a problem. A big problem. But you should be careful to differentiate between an actual clinical mistake, and poor conditions.

Well there were a couple of clinical mistakes made. I dont want to go into them all here but one in particalar was when my aunt was in hospital at the beginning of January for her radiotherapy and when she was then sent home after a week she was released with a prescription for her medication. Only problem was she got the prescription for a different patient.

I always held all nurses in the highest regard up until last week. I supported them when they were looking for reduced hours and more money. However overworked or not there were some nurses there who really did not appear to care. Of course there were some great ones who couldnt apologise enough but there were others who treated us as if we were an inconvinience.

CathyMoran

I am so sorry for your loss.

In the end of the day there are good nurses and doctors and bad ones, I am sorry that you experienced what you felt as bad ones. I did have issues with a nurse when I was in ICU and I did complain at the time, my complaint was taken seriously and delt with to my satisfaction if this helps.

eth0_

Write to your TD and of course Mary Harney over this. The real reason your aunt was treated in such an inhumane way seems to be down to lack of staff.

gazzer

Sorry for not replying sooner but it has been a tough couple of days. We had my aunts funeral on Monday and it was very tough going. I have asked my mum and her sisters and brothers to sit down in a week or two and write down everything they can think off to put into the letter and I will put it all together and do out the letter for them.

My mum got a hold of the hospital charter and I had to laugh at some of the points on it about treating the patient with dignity and respect. My aunt for the most part did not get this. Anyway I just wanted to pop in to say thanks again for the kind words.

Ruthie-Roux

Im so sorry for you, your aunt and your family having to go through this. What a horrific way to end your days eh? The healthcare system in this country is a joke and yes we all need to be writing to our local politicians as this cannot go on.
I recently had a horrible experience with an operation on my eyes and am considering taking legal action. Those with the power over life and death and peoples`health need to made accountable for their actions and their negligence. We all have a role to play in making these changes.

Ruth