Julie (Boureki) Update - AKA I Hate The NHS

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Marty

Marty

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For those of you interested, Julie went in to have her troublesome gall stone removed today and despite assurances both last week and this morning that "one way or another we'll get it out" (it was stuck at the exit of her gall bladder for those that didn't know) they failed.

Not only did they fail though, but they haven't even had the decency to tell her why they couldn't get rid of it.

Coupled with the fact that, despite being told to get to the hospital at 7 AM, she didn't have a bed when she got there and had to wait for one to become available before they could eventually take her down to theatre at 1:30 PM, and not dressing the wound from her previous op properly after returning from the failed operation, she is, understandably very upset and extremely angry, as am I.

So 5 months after originally getting the appointment to have the gall bladder removed she's got more problems than she started with, all of which could have been avoided had they simply removed the gall bladder when she was first admitted in February.

May I respectfully suggest to anyone who can afford it, GO PRIVATE, 'cos the NHS are the biggest bunch of Cowboys since The Magnificent Seven, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Wild Bunch all rolled in to one.

A very upset and angry

Marty :(
 
What a nightmare! Poor Julie. Speechless at what has happened, but sadly not shocked. Although the NHS has some good points, there are far too many ups like yours happening. Really sorry for Julie that this has happened. xxxxxxxx
 
So sorry this happened to her! Keep us updated if you can...I'll be thinking about her. :(
 
Awwww bless her :( Send her our love xxxxxxxxxxx I do agree the NHS are a shambles. I have been in hospital quite a few times with M.S. and a flare up of colitis and each time was horrible and we went private after that cos I was on a ward with patients with alzheimers who I ended up feeding and pressing buzzers for cos I felt sorry for them and the nurses just didn't seem to notice them poor things. I had no sleep at night cos the alzheimers patients were awake all night rolleyes Each 3 times I was in hospital was over christmas and new year for three years running which was just awful.
My father in law has just had a cancerous tumour removed and was quite sick afterwards and was vomiting when the nurses were on ward round and they just walked straight past him...
What is the world coming to I ask myself.
Write a letter of formal complaint to the chief executive of your NHS Trust If you feel up to it x
 
Oh no Martin I have just logged on to see if there is any news of Julie and I can't believe your post - what a mess.grrrr

It will be interesting to see what story they concoct this time - give Julie our love, will talk soon, and I hope you get to the bottom of todays fiasco. Sandra x
 
Caviesgalore said:
Oh no Martin I have just logged on to see if there is any news of Julie and I can't believe your post - what a mess.grrrr

It will be interesting to see what story they concoct this time - give Julie our love, will talk soon, and I hope you get to the bottom of todays fiasco. Sandra x
Click to expand...

Tell me about it!

When I arrived she'd only been up from theatre 10 minutes (had I not got held up at work I'd have been there when she got back) but as soon as I saw her I knew there was a problem.

One nurse told her the surgeons would be up to see her once they'd finished, but about two hours later a different nurse said, "oh they probably won't be around until tomorrow". They could tell she was really upset yet none of them seemed even remotely interested in finding out where the surgeons had got to. I really don't know what possesses a person to go in to nursing if they don't "care" about people. I know they appear busy but half the time you see them standing around doing nothing!

I was too angry to say anything tonight but I'll definitely make sure I find out not only what went wrong, but why they didn't come and see her tonight.

tattyruncy said:
Write a letter of formal complaint to the chief executive of your NHS Trust If you feel up to it x
Click to expand...

As for complaining, I was waiting until Julie was "fixed", although at this stage I can't see when that is going to be :(
 
Oh no! I am so sorry for you! :)>>>:{:)>>>:{

BIG HUMAN HUG and PIGGIE CUDDLE
from me and the gang x>>x>>
 
Marty, I'm so sorry Julie's going through this, and that you have to go through seeing her go through this.

Please send her our love, I'm sure we'll all be thinking of her and you and praying for a complete recovery.

Best wishes and lots of love to both of you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
BTW, thanks to everyone for the kid words of support. I shall pass all the comments on to Julie.

Sorry I didn't say that in the previous post, I'm in full-on rant mode though at the moment. It's probably a blessing in disguise that the surgeon didn't turn up tonight, he'd have got a full-on ear bashing for falsely getting Julie's hopes up.
 
Marty said:
BTW, thanks to everyone for the kid words of support. I shall pass all the comments on to Julie.

Sorry I didn't say that in the previous post, I'm in full-on rant mode though at the moment. It's probably a blessing in disguise that the surgeon didn't turn up tonight, he'd have got a full-on ear bashing for falsely getting Julie's hopes up.
Click to expand...

Don't apologise for anything - if you want to rant that's what we're here for. Please give Julie our best, but words fail me - it does seem appalling not only at being let down, but also not being given any explanation.

I actually don't see how they failed to remove a gall-stone, to be honest!

Just one teeny comment on NHS -v- private ... my husband had a hip replacement op 5 years ago privately, which we paid for as we don't have insurance. He got an infection in the bone and had to have further surgery 2 weeks later and was in hospital longer after the 2nd op than the hip replacement itself. I think sometimes it's sods law.

Anyway, don't hesitate to let the surgeon know exactly what you think - and make sure you get the explanations you and Julie need. And if you don't get satisfaction, make sure you file an official complaint.

Sending warmest wishes to both of you - my thoughts are with you.
 
Martin, I am so sorry to hear this-poor Julie and poor you :( It is terrible. Please send her my love. NHS do some wonderful things but sadly, yes, do up and are uncaring at times. They almost caused my first born to die through their incompetance.

Why on earth can't they just remove the gall bladder and have done. Your lives are on hold and poor Ju has all this discomfort....makes me mad too pow-pow

Fi x
 
I'm really sorry to hear about Julie Marty, please pass on my love & tell her i'm thinking about her.

Having had regular hosp admittances for the past 28yrs i have seen the demise of the NHS - there are the caring nurses out there but sadly are few & far between now. There are too many chiefs & not enough indians right thru' the whole system with targets to hit. That's all they're interested in; sadly patient care is a long way down the list :(
 
I hope she is OK, I can sympathise poor girl! I am awaiting my blood test results for something similar but, can I get an appointment to get the test results nope! I will try again in the morning. What makes it even annoying is I only want a phone appointment lol

Tell Julie we are thinking of her! :)p
 
Sadly Niki I totally agree with you. Having also spent more time than I care to remember in NHS hospitals over almost 30 years the level of care you receive these days tends to be very hit and miss - genuine, caring nurses seem few and far between these days. Bring back old fashioned matrons I say, the wards ran smoothly, were clean and tidy, nurses had time to nurse and care for their patients.

Sorry, rant over.

I do hope you get some answers today Martin, sending mega hugs and vibes to you and Julie, I know how "p'd" off you must both be feeling, especially as this should have brought the matter nearer to its conculsion.
 
Please send Juile my love. I'm sorry things didn't go as planned. She must be feeling very down.

With regard to the NHS v's private I have to say that it could be a regional thing.

I can't praise the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital ( Now the university hospital ) enough for the way we have been treated in the past.

I have had a heart operation, 2 c-sections and muscular problems in my right arm. Adam has had veins removed from his legs twice plus emergency treatment when one burst one evening while he was at home. We have always been seen and treated quickly and without worries. However, I am a boistrous person so I do demand answers to my questions! ;)

Claire
xx
 
This is appalling, I really hope Julie gets the treatment she needs soon. You place your life in their hands and when they play around with it like this, it makes you wonder exactly what is happening to the people in this world!

Lots of hugs to you and Julie. xx
 
Thanks everyone.

She's obviously extremely upset that it didn't go as they assured her, but she's more angry at the fact that not one of the surgeons came to see her, even today - not one - they sent a poor junior doctor along to take the heat. The hospital management is a shambles as well - she was asleep this afternoon as she obviously has been so stressed finally managed to shut her eyes, and they hoiked her out of bed to make way for another patient and made her sit in the waiting room with all the tubes and bag on show. In addition to not even dressing the wound properly they replaced the catheter drain she's had in for the last three months with a new one and hooked it up to the dirty used bag!

She's had to be hooked up with tubes coming out her abdomen for the last nearly three months which is why our lives are on hold, she can't work, go anywhere or is even supposed to drive. Now they've bandied about another proceedure which would prolongue the whole process further - and her original surgeon who she called first thing this morning to discuss it with couldn't even be bothered to call her back either, or me.

The hospital itself is very smart - it has lots of posh glass frontage, expensive fixtures and fittings like mood lighting, posh TVs and halogen spots dotted around the doorframes - seems odd then that they didn't have the resources to provide a clean catheter bag.
 
I am so sorry - you must be gutted!

Please give my best wishes and love to Julie; I will keep thinking of her while I'm away.

Wiebke
 
I'm so sorry she's going through all this crap Martin, she so doesn't deserve it. This sort of nonsense always seems to happen to good people. Send her our love. ^)
 
Hello. Really feeling for you both, it's awful. I do hope you get some resolution to the problems soon. And a big GET WELL SOON to Julie from myself and the piggies.
 
So sorry to hear this Julie and Marty. I must admit to having major issues with the NHS in how they treat old people. My Grandad Joe was caught up in the organ scandel (they took his brain without asking) and my Nan Betty and Grandad Ernie were stopped being given insulin before they died, I'm sure it contributed to their demise.

Even when I had Caitlin she caught conjunctivitis from a dirty instruement that had been used in the delievery, they said it was just from the fluid she was born in.

However that said they have been fantastic with my Nan and her back pain and also Alder Hey have been wonderful when needed them to see the girls over the years.

Get well soon Julie, it really is a postcode lottery. :( x
 
All bad things seem to happen in Kent mallethead

It is just disgusting how she is being treated...poor Julie, so distressing for both of you who put your trust in the care of these uncaring doctors and nurses....I am gobsmacked to be honest.

(((((hugs)))))
 
I'm so sorry to hear there have been complications. In January my mum turned yellow and it turned out that a stone was blocking the opening of her gall bladder. She had to have hers removed after years of complications. It was a really distressing time for us and while it went by without complications and the staff were attentive I understand how much worse I would have felt if I felt like the nursing staff and doctors were putting my mother second.

I hope everything is resolved and I defiantly second letting the hospital know where they could have done better. Unfortunately, the NHS seems to be more focused on cost saving than patients now and most nurses do care but it's difficult to keep up a high level of work after a 12 hour shift which is entirely the fault of upper management.

Hugs to you and Boureki.
 
i agree, kent trust is awful....and i should know as i live in kent and used both maidstone and tunbridge wells - worst ever, i went in for several ops and it was just awful, and was treated awful. i also had been told to get there at 7am, and wasnt put through for my operation until 6 at night....and at one point was going to tell me to go home and have to wait AGAIN! was disgusting. i was put on a ward full of people with MRSA, was awful!

get well soon Julie, i am so sorry to hear this, thinking of you both.

sending my love to you all

xxxxx
 
I just don't understand our NHS in the SE - it's no wonder our area has such a bad press, having experienced it at first hand I totally sympathise with you.

I've sent you a pm Martin - give Julie our love and I'll be in touch soon - just wanted to say we are thinking of you both.
 
I am so sorry for what is going on it is disgusting she is being treated this way, when things dont go as planned for whatever reason it is so much easier for people to understand and accept what and why if it is explained to them and this is inexcusable that no one has done this.

However on behalf of all the good nurses and doctors working in the NHS please dont tar us with the same brush, many of us do care, we do work hard unfortunatly a lot of the work we have to do is not always witnessed by patients and families. I'm not saying that there are not bad uncaring lazy nurses out there i know there are and i have worked with some but we are not all the same many of us care very deeply, we often take the worries of our work home, often wonder and ask colleagues how a certain patient got on particularly if they leave the ward when you are not there.
So please remember we are not all the same the same as not all police or teachers are the same there are good and bad in all professions
 
I'm so sorry to catch up on this thread, please send my love to Julie and I truly hope they resolve the problem soon so she can get back to normal.

Sophie
x
 
First and foremost, I would just like to say that my thoughts are with you Julie. I hope your problems can be resolved swiftly and that you are soon feeling much better.


However on behalf of all the good nurses and doctors working in the NHS please dont tar us with the same brush, many of us do care, we do work hard unfortunatly a lot of the work we have to do is not always witnessed by patients and families. I'm not saying that there are not bad uncaring lazy nurses out there i know there are and i have worked with some but we are not all the same many of us care very deeply, we often take the worries of our work home, often wonder and ask colleagues how a certain patient got on particularly if they leave the ward when you are not there.
So please remember we are not all the same the same as not all police or teachers are the same there are good and bad in all professions[/QUOTE]

I, like Freddie, feel the need to add that the events experienced by Julie are certainly unacceptable, but do not reflect those experienced by the overwhelming majority of NHS patients. As an NHS physio married to an NHS consultant I can say that most, although sadly not all, staff care greatly for their patients welfare and are trying their very best in what are often difficult circumstances - lack of resources, increased beurocracy, and unfortunately abusive patients. My job has become increasingly stressful and there are times when I am fearful for my own safety. Today almost 60% of my patients failed to attend,(presumably the hot weather meant they would rather be sitting out in the garden), meaning waiting times continue to increase and thus further exacerbating patient dis-satisfaction.

Once again, I am not trying to excuse Julie's treatment, but just making it clear that this is not the norm.
Rachel
 
I am so sorry to read that Julie has been through so much.
I really hope that things improve for her very soon!

I would ask questions why this happened but please don't think everyone is bad in the NHS ... my youngest daughter is a Staff Nurse who cares deeply about her patients and their dignity, even when she works 9 hours without a break.

Lots of hugs coming Julie's way for a speedy recovery! xx
 
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