James Paget Evicts Man From Bed

[Timbo]

James Paget Hospital has had to apply for a court order to evict a man who has been unnecessarily taking up a hospital bed for two years! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-38680031

After having to argue, cajole, demand and threaten to have my Dad found a hospital bed on three occasions because he needed it over the last 12 weeks of his life this bloody idiot makes my blood boil.

[Bound2Please]

That is one of the biggest problems of the NHS bed blocking but this one really takes the biscuit. Mum spent 2 days in a corridor before Christmas as no beds but she needed hospital care, she got the care yes but not in a very dignified way unfortunately. Just by going romford where mum has been a few times, I'm thinking theres not a shortage of actual beds, but beds occupied by many that shouldnt be in them, and its worse than you hear about in the press.

Charlie (off me soap box now)

[riyadhcrew]

My mum died in May - in hospital - in a bed, But no doctor available to prescribe the right medicine or machinery to help her. She suffered a horrible death. My sister had meetings afterwards with the hospital management and got all the apologies in the world, but that didn't help at the time.

[RumPunch]

Once upon a time with a Hatty Jaques style Matron, an enema twice daily, and intermittent colonic irrigation,  he'd have soon gone

[ChrisB]

On a positive note, my wife's four year journey with cancer starting with two extreme and invasive operations, intensive care and aftercare was always superb at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. 

When after three years her cancer returned they had capacity problems with their scanners, she was immediately sent to The Spire private hospital so there would be no waiting. They now have a bank of mobile scanners to address the problem. 

The eleven months of care, chemo, radiation and three spells in the Mulbarton ward, plus weekly acute oncology visits were all exemplary. 

When no more could be done she chose to be at home. Within twenty four hours they had installed a hospital bed, air mattress and all other equipment. We had morning and evening care and midday nursing to control her pain via a syringe driver. I administered more morphine as need via ng tube.

Judith passed peacefully at her home with me at her side, the week before our youngest son flew in from Melbourne was driven up by his brother and we had a week as a family to say our goodbyes.

All through this dreadful illness the care was superb. The palliative nurses and community nurses phone every few weeks to see how I am coming to terms with my loss. I could not have wished for better care.

[JennyMorgan]

One of my daughters is a prescribing pharmacist, previously at Norfolk & Norwich, then in London and now back in Suffolk. That story made her blood boil but then so does the general bed blocking saga. In ten years she's seen it all, some of her stories are not remotely funny. As has been suggested to me, society in general really need to re-evaluate it's relationship with hospitals, their demands on  A&E and bed-blocking in particular.

Chris, your story is touching, but thankfully not unique. The care that my mum-in-law received as dementia took its toll is equally heartening. The NHS does us proud, just a pity that it is abused as it is.

[Hylander]

Blimey what is wrong with him.   I was out of there asap and I was only in for a week and begged to go home.    The food is terrible so why would anyone want to stay there.       Whilst I say the food was terrible which it was, it is not a 5 star hotel it is a place for treatment and to get up and well again.     I was in an A & E ward , a room on my own the whole time I was in, the staff in that department were fantastic, especially the Ward Sister who was an absolute treasure.       I could not believe the hours she worked.    Came in before 7 in the morning and left when and if everything was ok well after 7.30 at night.     The only person I had any bother with had the most odd attitude and after I mentioned it , I never saw her again on the ward.   I say odd as  I had occasion one night to call the staff because the drip that was in my hand was not going into my hand but dripping into the bed , my pillow and upper sheet were soaked (I sleep with my arms up) ,  the way I was dressed down you would have thought I had wet the bed because she had to change the sheets.     There again in life you meet all types.

Just wish all these druggies and drunks that take up their time,  could do just one day's work as they do ,  tell you what they wouldnt last 5 minutes.

 

 

[Wonderwall]

3 hours ago, ChrisB said:

On a positive note, my wife's four year journey with cancer starting with two extreme and invasive operations, intensive care and aftercare was always superb at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. 

When after three years her cancer returned they had capacity problems with their scanners, she was immediately sent to The Spire private hospital so there would be no waiting. They now have a bank of mobile scanners to address the problem. 

The eleven months of care, chemo, radiation and three spells in the Mulbarton ward, plus weekly acute oncology visits were all exemplary. 

When no more could be done she chose to be at home. Within twenty four hours they had installed a hospital bed, air mattress and all other equipment. We had morning and evening care and midday nursing to control her pain via a syringe driver. I administered more morphine as need via ng tube.

Judith passed peacefully at her home with me at her side, the week before our youngest son flew in from Melbourne was driven up by his brother and we had a week as a family to say our goodbyes.

All through this dreadful illness the care was superb. The palliative nurses and community nurses phone every few weeks to see how I am coming to terms with my loss. I could not have wished for better care.

What a tremendously constructed and spirited post. 

Big respect to you , seeing the good from something so tragic.

[Baitrunner]

I have had horrendous experiences with a certain hospital when my parents were ill. Needless to say not the NNUH. 

my wife and I have not used them for anything serious but compared to others they seem to be exemplary. I'm sure others may have had bad experiences there, but definitely seem better than others. 

On the bed hogging. Several years ago I had to have an operation (in a Surrey hospital) on a ruptured Achilles. Not life threatening, but needed to be done a bit sharpish. Told to come in 7:30 Friday to be lined up. Ready to go in early afternoon but then cancelled due to emergencies. Good excuse in my opinion.  Had to stay in overnight ready for an op sat morning. Again pushed back to early afternoon. 

As I was already in a cast prior to the op I did my bit with the physio so they knew I could get about on crutches. Out of theatre at 2, physio turns up at 2:30 to get me up and make sure I can still use the crutches. Well I couldn't get up as I was still half drugged up. An hour later right as rain I'm ready. well it's a Saturday, physio went just after 2. Can't let me go home until she has signed me off. Thought she had signed me off before the op but apparently not!!

Ended up being in until Monday lunchtime. Itching to go home like Hylander. 

I was tying up a bed and resource ( not allowed out of bed for a wee unless supervised!!!) for an extra 2 days. 

Dont blame the physio for not being around, but a bit of forethought could have helped. 

Mine was minor in comparison to others and makes you wonder how bad the really complex issues are. 

Anyway, the docs, nurses, support staff etc all do a bloody good job in my opinion. Maybe some bad ones like all walks of life, but in general heroes if you ask me. 

[ranworthbreeze]

Sadly we hear there are not enough beds, beds are not the issue, nor are the wards to put them on. the issue is not enough nurses to man those beds.

Most people like to be out of the hospital as soon as possible and in many cases this is before they should be discharged which results in more visits back to the hospital.

Bring back the Matrons/Nursing Officers I say and get control back into hospitals.

Regards

Alan

[VetChugger]

Or even more effective, get all the services out of the greedy profit seeking private sector!

[quo vadis]

Harsh but fair 

[JennyMorgan]

I hate politics!

[Bound2Please]

Well apart from mum at Romford, I have only positive experiences of the NHS in 97 I had a bypass in Barts on the Monday afternoon, by Friday afternoon I was back in the pub with a pint (couln't lift it had to use a straw) .About 4 or 5 years ago I spent from just after Christmas untill the first week of January in Colchester cant fault it..... More recently last year ive had 3 operations in Colchester and numerous tests, so again I fail to see how Colchester is classed as below par. The three operations by the way was for what they were criticised and still are for.

That all spread over a 20 period I can say the NHS has come on imensley in that time, but sadly last year I did see first hand that a lot of beds were occupied by those that shouldnt be there, and not just the old. Even in 97 in Barts there was a guy who had his operation a few days before me, and he was still there 3 weeks after I left, I know this as he was still in the same bed when I went for my first check up and was taking a case of wine into the ward for the nurses. I asked him why he was still there, his reply was im scared to leave in case any thing dislodges on my new heart valve.

Charlie

[JennyMorgan]

My experience of care in the community with Suffolk County Council has been nothing but praiseworthy. When my mum-in-law's dementia really kicked in they were amazing & for that my wife and I will be eternally grateful. I'm confident that the gentleman at JPH had absolutely nothing to fear in being hoofed put of the hospital. The level of care for mum, and assistance given to my wife and I as carers, was nothing short of humbling. The advice that we received from Help the Aged both for mum, ourselves and also my aunt and uncle in their last few years was incredibly helpful. At least in Suffolk getting old and helpless is not such a problem.

[Springsong]

My experience of the NHS over the past 20 years the hospitals and all their staf from the bottom up has been exemplary, apart that is from the odd suit looking for work with a job for instance counting beds. I have hospitalised in Glan Clwyd (North Wales) Carlisle Infirmary NNUH . The problem in all releases from these places has been the after care in the community. Dropped like a hot brick springs to mind, the best of the lot being NNUH  the worst Wales.

[VetChugger]

" I hate politics! "

So bury your head in the Oulton mud then! Its sod*ing politics that has sadly and tragically subjected a lot of the complex diagnostic procedures to the mercies of financial performance and a rigged tendering system that has no place whatsoever in the care of the nations health.

Apologies for the rant but, after 40 years plus in the NHS lets just say I'm a tad biased and desperately regret what is happening to out Health Service.

I also realise that this sort of discussion is not favoured here but I could not let some of the comments made go unanswered.

[JennyMorgan]

VC, I hear it all within my own four walls from one who also works in the NHS. I was trying to be subtle, perhaps here is not the place.

[MauriceMynah]

Whilst "Politics" is actively discouraged as a discussion subject on this forum, I believe that this only really applies to "Party Politics". It is inevitable that things like the National Parks debate and Dr P. will be discussed.

The only problem is when such debates become heated. That's the time that people sometimes forget themselves and can get too hot under their collars. It is that that the forum moves Heaven and Earth to control.

The National Health system is generally approved of and it's front line troops are almost without exception regarded with very high opinion. Our political masters of either party (ok, "any party" then) are the problem, compounded by those who just want to play the system for whatever they can get out of it.

If we can all take that as said, we will all get on swimmingly.