28 Nov 2008
Reflections
Fully two-and-a-bit weeks after my surgery I continue to improve. My energy levels are rising, my breathlessness decreasing and my lung capacity is getting better every day. My main wound is almost scab-free and the drain wounds are doing very nicely.
This week’s activities included shopping for a sofa bed (successfully), a pub lunch and a visit to a client to fix her Mac problems (also successful).
Reflecting on my stays in hospital, as I often do, I thought I would list a few observations/constructive criticisms of the care I have received, as open comments to the staff concerned and the NHS in general:
- Do not assume that I want the curtains around my bed/curtains at the window drawn fully open each morning. I am not in the mood to exchange pleasantries with the person in the next door bed, nor do I want to see what everyone else on the ward is doing. I wish to deal with being in hospital privately, so please leave the curtains closed. This is not a social situation. Thank you.
- When I am recovering from major surgery, I need to rest. Waking me at 0645 and asking me if I’d like to sit in my chair now is not what I need. I realise I need to mobilise but surely I can do that at 0900? As I can’t really do anything except sit/lie, I’d rather sleep the time away than look at the walls for the next 12 hours. I don’t get up at 0645 when I’m at home and well, so asking me to do that when I’m ill is really out of order. I understand you have tasks to complete and routines to accomplish, however care is supposed to be patient-centric and not carer-centric.
- When you are on a night shift, please don’t spend all night with a radio turned on. I know it was very low volume, however it’s relative; when the whole ward is quiet, even a quiet radio can be heard and is enough to keep me awake. And don’t sing along.
- Also when on nights, don’t sit and chit-chat at normal volume with your colleague. For the same reasons as above.
- Please don’t ask me discreetly if I would be kind enough to let the student nurse remove my catheter. I’m all for letting students get experience (and indeed quite a few students have practiced on me this year, medical curiosity that I am), but my catheter, for goodness sake? No, I’d really like the experienced staff to take care of this one. No offence.
- When inserting a needle into me of any kind, don’t describe the feeling as “a sharp scratch”. It’s not, it’s a STAB. Think about it.
- If you are aware of how bad hospital food is (and I know you are because you’ve admitted as much) then why aren’t you lobbying to get it improved? Sick people need nutritious food. It needs to be appetising. It needs to be fresh. I heard that the per head spend for a hospital meal is less than the per head spend for a prison meal. That’s insane.
- Please do not chew gum whilst on duty. It’s unprofessional and makes you look like a slob.
- Just because I am an adult, don’t assume that I’m not scared. I am. And don’t give me the “for goodness sake, you’re a grown man” look when you find out just how scared I am.
- Why do we need to pay to watch television? It comes free from the aerial on the roof so why charge us? There’s bugger-all else that sick people want to do as a rule so at least give us that for nothing. We’ve had to pay to park our cars after all.
- Why aren’t immediate family offered some of the comforts the patients are offered? Why can’t my wife be offered a cup of tea when the trolley comes, especially when she’s been with me all day? Admittedly, one hospital in particular does look after Sara pretty well in this regard, but I think it’s more a case of a sympathetic tea lady. When it’s her day off, her replacement studiously ignores Sara.
Please don’t misunderstand me, I am extremely grateful for the care I have received and it has generally been excellent. However, just attending to a few small details would make a significant difference to the in-patient experience and I thought they were worth pointing out.
Any of you got a hospital-based gripe? Let me know via the comments…………….
Wotcha mate – yes, gripes a-plenty about hospitals, but it’s always softened by the fact that they have, at various times, saved my brother’s life, treated ALL my children quickly and efficiently (with one HUGE exception), fixed various family bones and generally fixed problems when I’ve turned up at A&E with them.
I’m with you on the whole “quiet at night” and “don’t wake me at 6:30″ thing. There seems to be a wide variety of care standards in the same hospital, and as you point out, a lot is based on the care not being specifically patient centred.
Anyway matey, keep it up. Good to hear ramblings from the Grumpy Old Git.
Kenton
November 28th, 2008 at 12:45 pmpermalink
I don’t think I’ve ever slept well a night in hospital the many times I’ve been in. Even with morphine and pain wearing you to complete exhaustion being woken up to ‘Just checking you were ok, can I get you anything?’ I think a couple of times the heavy sedation may have let a profanity or two slip out.
I’m with you on the food – Where’s Jamie when we need him – you fixed the schools now sort the hospitals.
Glad you’re recovering well though.
L
Lloyd
November 28th, 2008 at 5:22 pmpermalink
Love the new header image – hope we can all be back there together again soon!!! I can just see you now, one hand on your hip, glass of red in the other debating the whole NHS situation – whilst we just laugh and take the mick! Good old days mate!
Soooo glad you are on the mend and getting out and about – you have come so far and we’re all really proud of you!
Could mention my knee op in January here – but I went private – so no moans to speak of!!! Ha!
Lots of love, the Smiffs xx
Cheryl Smith
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:04 pmpermalink
I totally agree with your gripes. In my clinical days I often used to find the comment “a small prick” when inserting a needle managed to distract from the sharp scratch that the patient was about to receive (chosen carefully for those with a sense of humour of course!).
Good to see that you are making goog progress.
Take care
Nicola
x
Nicola Norton
December 8th, 2008 at 11:11 pmpermalink
Can completely relate to most of your hospital gripes, I was lucky enough to be treated on a Teenage Cancer Trust ward (which is a lot more relaxed and patient/ family friendly) for most of my chemo but for the odd cycle I was put on an “adult ward”…which I regularly compared to being at boot camp. I remember saying to a nurse when she woke me up at 06.30 one morning to ask if I wanted a cup of tea “No I just want to bloody sleep!!” (I’m not a morning person at the best of times let alone after a sleepless night in hospital) It also really wound me up when they’d open the curtain around my bed at 7, so I just use to draw it right back round again! Oh yes, I’ll also never forget the time I found a curly black hair in my hospital bangers and mash… found it particularly amusing when the chef’s response to my complaint was that it must have been one of my hairs…..I haven’t got any bloody hair along with everyone else on the ward, was my short and sharp response! Really glad you’re recovering after your op, best wishes Hannah
Hannah
December 14th, 2008 at 3:24 pmpermalink
Oh my god Andy, everything you said I can sympathise with – mostly the waking me at any time before midday! Shifting me out of bed to change the linen before I’ve even sat up let alone opened my eyes…
They say rest and sleep is the best thing, so why bloody wake us up?? My normal lifestyle means going to bed after 2am most nights, so waking me for ‘tea and toast’ at 6am is not exactly first on my list.
When in an isolation room having a transplant it was ridiculous how many members of staff did not understand the rules of open the outer door, go in, close it behind you, wait a few moments before opening the inner door into the room – germs are the most life-threatening thing at this point and yet staff had no bloody clue…. crazy!
I could go on and on and on and on….
will get my coat instead…
keep that chin up chuck xxx
Carol
December 17th, 2008 at 11:54 pmpermalink
Ha! Andy, obviously you know i used to work in the NHS, and I totally endorse ALL your gripes! All patients need good nutrition, so why oh why is the food inedible? And if they cannot feed themselves, then why is the right help NEVER available? Again, why is there a need to wake everyone at 6.45am just because that is the time when the night staff are about to go off duty? Cos it ain’t the right time for anyone else, especially if they are ill! Oh, yes, and when did ‘care’ not mean caring? Nursing used to be all about caring, it doesn’t seem to be that any more…..
Helen Jarvis
January 13th, 2009 at 9:38 pmpermalink
Mr Greig,
Feel like I know you better than for all those years we were colleagues. Amazing blog – very moving. Now, humble apologies for not taking the time to respond. I have really been praying for you and Sara and the kids and will continue to do so. Last time I had a spell in Hospital was in early 1983. Sounds like science has advanced and care and catering have wobbled somewhat. I remember having custard with everything and sleeping well at night.
Dave
David Withers
January 16th, 2009 at 12:18 pmpermalink
Hey AG!
Good to catch up with your news and to hear, well read anyway, that things are heading in the right direction.
Mate, I’m planning on organizing myself into running a series of 10k (between 6 – 8 in total) races between now and the end of the year and want to try and raise monies for AG-related stuff so I just wanted to run that past you and to get your thoughts….
I’m actually entered into the English National Cross Country Championships later this month and thought it might be a good way to ‘kick things off’?
All good here my friend – prayers for you and yours continue.
Blessings,
Stu.
Stuart Pendred
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:04 pmpermalink