Phlebotomy Service ran out of sharps !

[Clunkclick]

Just been to my local hospital, Northwick Park, for a blood-test prior to my next Chemotherapy Infusion and  find that the Phlebotomy staff are running short of sharps for use on the evacuated tube used for blood-test samples and are having to share between staff !

 

Luckily I managed to get mine done, but there were at least 30 other people in the waiting room behind me.

 

Apparently, this happens regularly.

 

On returning home tried to speak to the Phlebotomy manager - no joy - switchboard put me through to Haematology.

 

Tried to speak to the hospital general manager, switchboard didn't know who I wanted without a name /title.

 

Tried a third time and was cut-off

 

So, in desperation, phoned the Media Relations phone number for the Trust that runs the hospital in the surefire hope that that number would be answered and that I would be able to get a contact number for the Trusts Chief Executive's office. Result !

 

Told that her PA is in a meeting.

 

Bloody typical though - ordinary patient can't get anywhere when contacting the switchboard, ring Media Relations i.e. career enhancement services for the execs and all is easy street.

 

I'm going to be pursuing this.

 

The admin side at NPH is absolute pants.

 

 

Nick

Edited 16 November, 2015 by Clunkclick

[StevesTruck]

That would really needle me.

[Clunkclick]

Lets hope the media pick it up . . . and put it in a nice yellow box . .marked hospital numpties.

Nick

[gadgetman]

Given the health risks this would pose, not to mention skewed test results, I very much doubt this is true.

[GentleGiant]

Given the health risks this would pose, not to mention skewed test results, I very much doubt this is true.

 

There have been reports of this happening before; it shouldnt happen because of the dangers of passing on nasty infections, but it wouldnt suprise me if it were true; they caught a hospital reusing disposable plastic tubing and wooden tongue depressors a couple of years ago

[Clunkclick]

And, of course, with the current over-emphasis through media relations of the management ethos of taking credit for good work upwards and pushing responsibility downwards (How childish is that ?), what chance is there that there's a meaningful, workable and safe contingency plan  in place (That benefits the patient) for a sharp's or any other shortage, through whatever cause.

 

It seems that the best they can do nowadays, is give it a stiff ignoring and let the junior staff make the ad-hoc arrangements and take the blame if it goes wrong - In this case reaching round the cubicle curtain to the next booth to borrow next doors needle holder and ignoring the possibility that next-door's patient may have something infectious and that that I am an immune-compromised Chemotherapy patient  and.of course failing even to douch the needle holder in a steam-steriliser or anything antiseptic before hand ! (Even Gordon Ramsay has a miniature steam steriliser - a quick veg boiler) Brilliant back of the fag-packet stuff !  And no doubt legally actionable, where's Speller's when you need it ?

 

That's the quality of decision making you get when you're paid more than the PM !

 

 

Nick

Edited 26 November, 2015 by Clunkclick

[gadgetman]

And of course you've put this to the hospital/trust by way of a complaint Nick?

Thought not

[Clunkclick]

Not yet. I've been too busy getting ready for and having my last Chemo infusion yesterday. Given the usual after effects, I probably won'tbe in a position to do that properly for the next week.

 

 

Nick

Edited 26 November, 2015 by Clunkclick

[gadgetman]

I'd have done that instead of posting here myself.

[Clunkclick]

Fine.

 

The problem is finding out who to address the correspondence to - there's a surprise !

 

So far,as related above,  after an hour on the phone, I managed to get the CEO's PA's telephone. Go figure how long it will take to get the remaining detail.

 

A previous E-mailed complaint to the PALs (Patient Liason Service)  on another matter only got the an Outlook received receipt.

 

You will appreciate that with the regime I've been on for the last 18 + weeks its a bit difficult fitting-in extra-curricula admin into the weekly routine of activities for life-support and home maintenance + hospital OPD visits (Have been up to 5 a week) + contacting and getting advice from your personal CNS ( Usually a day turnaround, cause they are so busy) + visiting outlier hospitals for PET scans + GP Visits + home medical treatment + chasing appointments, paperwork and miscellaneous for same + illness and side-effects ( which can include at least 2 hours a day on the bog |+ 4 hours daytime sleeping (Unavoaidable), sleepiness nights, nausea, tinnitus, profuse localised sweating, coughing (wet and dry) , near constant farting during the first 10-13 days after each infusion (I've had six), skin rashes, burning sensations in the muscous membranes all over (You know where) - one of the drugs is a relative of mustard gas, heightened urinary urgency (Means you pee every hour) +drug side-effect induced heart symptoms and peripheral neuropathy and occasional exercise on the odd days when you do feel better. Not complaining, but that's the logistics of the current factory system for treating cancer of the type I have.

 

There have been times when I thought I was back in work (Unpaid) and not retired.

 

 

Nick

Edited 26 November, 2015 by Clunkclick

[gadgetman]

Appreciate that Nick, and have an understanding due to family having treatment.

However the time spent posting here you could have found the email/postal address and submitted a complaint.

I'd personally have put that as a higher priority than posting about it here to people who have no way to help you or deal with your complaint/issues.

[Clunkclick]

Appreciate that Nick, and have an understanding due to family having treatment.

However the time spent posting here you could have found the email/postal address and submitted a complaint.

I'd personally have put that as a higher priority than posting about it here to people who have no way to help you or deal with your complaint/issues.

Not wise for the next two weeks - Infusion days 1-4, off-of-my-face due to steroids (Hence number of posts today), followed by one "Rest-day" then the major symptoms and side effects kick-in on I -day 6-14, so you won't see much posting then. And getting on the phone trying to get e-mail or postal addresses with people who are actively tryting to keep nameless and faceless won't do my BP and HR any good over the next 2 weeks - its bad enough going into an OPD session. After driving-in, getting a parking space, paying the effing-fee over the phone and then playing dodge-ball with patients, staff and visitors whilst traversing the hospital main spine corridor, my measured HR and BP go up at least 15-20 points (And of course are immediately measured and recorded as such by the dutiful clinic staff and are taken as representative of my "Usual" condition).

 

So a letter (I think the CEO status mind-set responds better to a letter) will go off in slower-time by which time of course, having a media savvy admin, and undoubtedly been avidly (There's a medical word) tracking the postings on this web site, they will be able to report that they have taken the appropriate corrective action i.e. I won't have to wait three months for the answer. That's the theory, anyway.

 

It can't be doubted that todays Media Relations environment, within whose purview web-based posting commentary would fall, has more leverage than an individual complainant. So why not get the best of both worlds ? Web post first, letter second. And, of course, you can always refer in your letter to the public web posting.

 

 

Nick

Edited 26 November, 2015 by Clunkclick

[P6bJOHN]

Email your MP.

[GentleGiant]

When it takes decades for a malpractice claim to get through the system after a death, no wonder you havent had a reply yet.

 

I used to know a woman who sued a hospital after her son was left brain damaged during a botched birth procedure, the case was still ongoing when he left Primary school. Yes, as long as you are reasonably continent and can speak a few words (mental age of about 2 or higher), they chuck you into mainstream schools round here, Special Needs places are for the REALLY disabled kids.