On early Monday morning, I took my wife in for an eye operation under general anaesthetic at Leicester Royal Infirmary. We were told she may be able to come home same day. Later that day, I was advised that she could be collected from the ward between 3:30 and 4:00 pm. The surgeon had seen her after the op., and she gave my wife this news.
About 2:15 pm., a nurse (I assume) rang me and (insistently) said to fetch her now. I said I would come to the nearest car park (opposite A&E), but told her I knew parking would cause some delay. I arrived outside the hospital at 2:55 pm, and it took me one hour to park and reach the ward on the 6th., floor. Getting to that floor, I identified myself. At first they could not find her, then a nurse said she had taken her to the entrance/exit near A&E and had left her there. On saying they had better find her quickly, this nurse went with me to this entrance/exit. My wife was standing in a sagged manner near to the taxi pick up point. We got her back inside, the nurse found a wheelchair, and I had to take her through the hospital to a far car park where it was the only place to park.
On the Wednesday morning, I decided to make a complaint on the NHS review forum. My wife, who doesn't like fuss, said she may have caused some confusion - don't know why - this was some 24 hours later, when she was more lucid.
I said that under no circumstances should she have been taken and left alone, in the cold, after dark, barely 3 hours after coming round from the anaesthetic. I dismissed any question of her being the cause of what happened, because she was clearly in a confused, drugged state. Proper procedures were clearly breeched.
I got an email reply from the NHS, and given the name of the Lead Nurse and her phone number, and told to contact her. She was not available, so a deputy took the call. I explained that as, very fortunately, no damage had occurred, I was not looking for anyone to be seriously disciplined, but I did expect the nursing staff to be written the riot act to ensure that no other patients were put through this neglect. Ability to park anywhere around this hospital is a known nightmare, and the time it took me was not abnormal.
The Lead Nurse was supposed to have been asked to call back to speak to me, but it hasn't happened - after a further 24+ hours, it obviously will not happen.
One interesting point. During our conversation, and my criticism of the parking chaos, I was told that the hospital (presumably their admin) had asked Leicester City Council for improvements in parking facilities, but this was turned down on the grounds that they (the council) wanted people to be encouraged to use the bus.
Don't these incompetent fools realise that patients are brought and collected by car because they are ill or badly incapacitated? Even under hospital guidelines, collecting patients by bus is a definite no-no.
About 2:15 pm., a nurse (I assume) rang me and (insistently) said to fetch her now. I said I would come to the nearest car park (opposite A&E), but told her I knew parking would cause some delay. I arrived outside the hospital at 2:55 pm, and it took me one hour to park and reach the ward on the 6th., floor. Getting to that floor, I identified myself. At first they could not find her, then a nurse said she had taken her to the entrance/exit near A&E and had left her there. On saying they had better find her quickly, this nurse went with me to this entrance/exit. My wife was standing in a sagged manner near to the taxi pick up point. We got her back inside, the nurse found a wheelchair, and I had to take her through the hospital to a far car park where it was the only place to park.
On the Wednesday morning, I decided to make a complaint on the NHS review forum. My wife, who doesn't like fuss, said she may have caused some confusion - don't know why - this was some 24 hours later, when she was more lucid.
I said that under no circumstances should she have been taken and left alone, in the cold, after dark, barely 3 hours after coming round from the anaesthetic. I dismissed any question of her being the cause of what happened, because she was clearly in a confused, drugged state. Proper procedures were clearly breeched.
I got an email reply from the NHS, and given the name of the Lead Nurse and her phone number, and told to contact her. She was not available, so a deputy took the call. I explained that as, very fortunately, no damage had occurred, I was not looking for anyone to be seriously disciplined, but I did expect the nursing staff to be written the riot act to ensure that no other patients were put through this neglect. Ability to park anywhere around this hospital is a known nightmare, and the time it took me was not abnormal.
The Lead Nurse was supposed to have been asked to call back to speak to me, but it hasn't happened - after a further 24+ hours, it obviously will not happen.
One interesting point. During our conversation, and my criticism of the parking chaos, I was told that the hospital (presumably their admin) had asked Leicester City Council for improvements in parking facilities, but this was turned down on the grounds that they (the council) wanted people to be encouraged to use the bus.
Don't these incompetent fools realise that patients are brought and collected by car because they are ill or badly incapacitated? Even under hospital guidelines, collecting patients by bus is a definite no-no.
