It makes my blood boil

My grandpa is still in Peterborough hospital, and his health is declining.

Generally, my experience of Peterborough hospital has been exceptional. The paediatric team are incredible. The nurses are incredible. The doctors are incredible.

But then, something happens that make you so angry your blood boils.

That’s happened twice since my grandpa’s been an in-patient.

The first was to do with a specific team member who thought it was acceptable to offer her opinion on where my grandpa should spend the last days of his life.

It’s not.

Even less so when she’d only spent five minutes with him.

To make matters worse, she used her best “people skills training”. You could literally see her doing what was said on each page of the guide.

Note… do not try and pacify a family who’re trying to make someone at the end of their life comfortable, and don’t offer your opinion about what they should do. Just be supportive, and try to expedite what the family wants to the best of your ability.

The second thing that happened was last night.

My grandpa, throughout the day, had started to get pain again. This pain grew throughout the afternoon.

When I left the hospital he thought paracetamol would be strong enough to cope with the pain.

It wasn’t, and his pain increased and increased.

He called the nurses repeatedly, who did their best.

Four hours later, when my mum arrived, it turned out that he’d still not had anything strong enough and was in intense pain.

After another two hours of constant requesting, harrassing and pushing from my mum, it turned out that there hadn’t been a doctor on duty who could prescribe stronger pain relief.

And it wasn’t just my grandfather, there were people all over the ward in agony and without pain relief.

Now, this isn’t the Junior Registrars fault, he was doing his best in what must have been an awful situation for him

But, of all places in the world you shouldn’t have to be in pain, a hospital has to be the top.

How the hell can a hospital not have a doctor on duty for five hours who can prescribe pain medication to people in intense pain, getting more and more distressed?

I’ve got absolutely no idea.

So I’ve asked…

How can a hospital not have a doctor on duty who can prescribe pain medication to patients in intense pain for five hours last night @PboroCityHosp ? #youshouldneverbeinpaininhospital

— Michael Wilding (@mikeywilding) April 10, 2018

Please retweet, share and embed this tweet wherever you can. It’s an answer I really feel we have to get.

Ciao,

Michael