On Monday Carol had to have a blood test done. She was told this when she was on Ward 20. There was no particular time she had to go to the Maple Centre at Milton Keynes Hospital. On arrival we went to the reception desk, to be told that the Blood Unit wasn't open on a Monday. Just made us feel annoyed to learn this, but once the lady on the desk looked at her computer she told us that Carol was going to be in the Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit (A.E.C.U), which is through a door and along the corridor. So, we followed the signs and landed up at another reception desk. Carol was on the system and we had to wait in the waiting room. Another of those bland rooms with bland decoration with the standard N.H.S. fittings: sink, rubbish bin (with 'silent closing.' I can't in all honesty what's so 'Silent' about a bin closing. Just don't use your hands to push the lid down when you've put your rubbish in. It's supposed to close itself automatically, but not many of them do, so the lid will stay half-closed.) a water-cooler, a few uncomfortable plastic chairs (although there were a couple of better padded chairs, again, standard N.H.S. furniture) and it appeared that the room wasn't originally intended as a waiting room as there was the trunking you find in N.H.S. wards everywhere, with a row of power points and places to plug in oxygen and other things. We sat and waited. People coming and going. Some in wheelchairs. People trying hard not to make eye-contact with others, low voices. Nothing to keep you occupied. The television on the wall not working, and a pile of really ancient and very tatty magazines. After about 20minutes Carol was called away by a nurse. I was left to twiddle my fingers. One man quite intent on talking, fortunately.
After around half an hour Carol returned. She said that the results of the blood test would be known after an hour. We could either wait where we were or go home and wait to get a telephone call from the department. We chose to go home. Fortunately the car was parked over the road from the Maple Centre. We drove home, only a short distance, fortunately. We had some housework to do, for example changing our bedding. Changing a duvet cover is not exactly my favourite occupation, but it needed doing. Had coffee and then, after an hour or so the phone rang. The doctors wanted to see Carol, and could we come back to the Maple Centre? Yes, we could, even though it meant paying to park yet again. On arrival back at the Maple Centre we saw the doctors, to be told that the blood test had shown up a slight problem. It might mean Carol having to be readmitted to Ward 20. She had got somewhat dehydrated. The alternative was to return home and drink plenty, which is what we decided to do. We would need to return the following day (Tuesday) for Carol to have another blood test to check that her kidney were working properly. So we went home.
The next day we returned yet again to the Maple Centre. We waited in the waiting room. More poor souls with pained expressions, waiting for whatever procedures to be done on them. This time the television was on, so we could at least watch that to elevate the boredom. The blood test was done fairly quickly and because Carol was experiencing so much pain she went into the Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit and allowed to lay on one of their beds, or rather, one of those trolleys they have in A and E, but with parts that could be raised or lowered. So at least we didn't have to wait in that miserable waiting room. We were told that it would be an hour before the results of the new blood test were available. So we waited. Apparently, the doctors who would give the information were not permanently assigned to the department. They could be doing ward rounds, in A and E, or even in theatre doing surgery, so we wouldn't get an immediate response. A crazy way to use doctors. Why not assign doctors permanently to this department? Was it a shortage of cash? It's quite obvious to me now, having spent so much time in Milton Keynes Hospital, that they are short of funding, particularly for staff. When I was with Carol on Ward 20, I was able to help her with her personal care, no doubt a job that would have been done by a Health Auxilliary or whatever the staff title would be, probably Assistant. So why would have done this work for her? Helping her move about with the drip stand on wheels, which it would be difficult to manage on her own.
A good six hours after we arrived in the Maple Centre the doctors appeared. We were at the point where we had decided if we didn't get a response soon we would go home and wait for them to telephone us and possibly come back to the Unit to see the doctors in the morning. But it turned out that the blood test hadn't shown up that there was a problem with Carol's kidneys, so it was fine for her to go home. Thank goodness! All that time sitting in that place, with no clear idea when we would get a result. After all that, we could have received the news via a telephone call. So fortunately Carol didn't have to endure another night on Ward 20.
I really begin to wonder whether they missed some of Carol's medication on the ward, as she was supposed to be on antibiotics, because Carol got that call when I was at church on Sunday and then had to fetch the prescription from Ward 20 and then had to go and get it made up in Boot's at Kingston and she was supposed to be on a drip to dehydrate her but this was left off. What on earth were they doing? A lack of proper care? Probably all this not doing her kidneys much good, although, with all the medication she's currently on, it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't upset her kidneys. There's o point on being on antibiotics if the course isn't completed. It can make things worse, but as I'm not a healthcare professional, how would I know?
The next day we returned yet again to the Maple Centre. We waited in the waiting room. More poor souls with pained expressions, waiting for whatever procedures to be done on them. This time the television was on, so we could at least watch that to elevate the boredom. The blood test was done fairly quickly and because Carol was experiencing so much pain she went into the Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit and allowed to lay on one of their beds, or rather, one of those trolleys they have in A and E, but with parts that could be raised or lowered. So at least we didn't have to wait in that miserable waiting room. We were told that it would be an hour before the results of the new blood test were available. So we waited. Apparently, the doctors who would give the information were not permanently assigned to the department. They could be doing ward rounds, in A and E, or even in theatre doing surgery, so we wouldn't get an immediate response. A crazy way to use doctors. Why not assign doctors permanently to this department? Was it a shortage of cash? It's quite obvious to me now, having spent so much time in Milton Keynes Hospital, that they are short of funding, particularly for staff. When I was with Carol on Ward 20, I was able to help her with her personal care, no doubt a job that would have been done by a Health Auxilliary or whatever the staff title would be, probably Assistant. So why would have done this work for her? Helping her move about with the drip stand on wheels, which it would be difficult to manage on her own.
A good six hours after we arrived in the Maple Centre the doctors appeared. We were at the point where we had decided if we didn't get a response soon we would go home and wait for them to telephone us and possibly come back to the Unit to see the doctors in the morning. But it turned out that the blood test hadn't shown up that there was a problem with Carol's kidneys, so it was fine for her to go home. Thank goodness! All that time sitting in that place, with no clear idea when we would get a result. After all that, we could have received the news via a telephone call. So fortunately Carol didn't have to endure another night on Ward 20.
I really begin to wonder whether they missed some of Carol's medication on the ward, as she was supposed to be on antibiotics, because Carol got that call when I was at church on Sunday and then had to fetch the prescription from Ward 20 and then had to go and get it made up in Boot's at Kingston and she was supposed to be on a drip to dehydrate her but this was left off. What on earth were they doing? A lack of proper care? Probably all this not doing her kidneys much good, although, with all the medication she's currently on, it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't upset her kidneys. There's o point on being on antibiotics if the course isn't completed. It can make things worse, but as I'm not a healthcare professional, how would I know?
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