Hospital Complaints

You may or may not recall my earlier post about my last time I was in Milton Keynes Hospital. What I didn't discuss in that post was the complaints I had made, via email to the hospital, about one or two things I had encountered. Let me explain.

The first was when I was in the Accident and Emergency department and laying on the bed, having been examined by the doctor. I saw a cupboard door with the words "Bereavement Cupboard" emblazoned on it. I do remember this from a previous hospital visit, but at the time I hadn't mentioned it, but it did seem somewhat insensitive to patients and their relations to have this displayed so clearly. It would surely have been a little more sensitive to have this somewhere that wasn't seen by visitors and patients. I appreciate that they do need to have material handy for when patients do die, but it seemed really insensitive to allow it to be seen like that.

The next complaint was when I was moved to the final ward for my last overnight stay in the hospital. It must have been for, how should I put it, more geriatric patients, as those already there did seem elderly and not very responsive. As I was wheeled in on a trolley by the porter, a nurse said to me 'welcome to the madhouse!' Not very encouraging or exactly sensitive. Lastly, whilst I was laying on the bed, being thoroughly bored as I had nothing to read, no way of paying for the television  or radio service in the ward, or any other sort of activity to pass the time, I could hear some of the nurses in deep discussion about a patient who had recently died on the ward. One of them was on the telephone making arrangements for the removal of the dead body, to the morgue etc. This should surely have been done where patients on the ward couldn't hear the conversation. 

When I got home I emailed the hospital about my concerns about the above, and I eventually received a response about my complaints. That is the last I heard and have had no response as to what action was being taken to remedy these complaints. If anything, I do not think the fact that I could over-hear the arrangements being made about the deceased patient and the remark about the "madhouse" were very professional. Having worked in the N.H.S. as a carer for people with learning disabilities, I would imagine that I would have been severely disciplined if I'd behaved in that way, and would, I imagine, have been given a verbal warning.