Thread: Is it worth complaining about treatment received on the NHS?

My 72 year old mother was recently in hospital for a hysterectomy and resultant complications - she was very ill and was in for nearly 4 weeks in all.

She's started telling me about some of the awful things which happened - including a nurse who was really rude to her (told my mum to "get it yourself" when she asked for a pillow), nurses simply refusing to come when she rang the bell (she even was forced to wet her bed at one point because no nurse would come to help her to the toilet). She was lying in bed hooked up to several drips and extremely weak and these nurses were treating her badly.

Since she's come home its been found that she had an abcess which was un-diagnosed and untreated and has subsequently burst and become infected, causing her a lot of pain.

I'm furious! My mum has worked all her life and paid Tax and NI! She deserves better than this. She's not one to "make a fuss" but I am! I do not want the people responsible to get away with it!

Advice please . . .
Some of the nurses were horrible, I spoke to a few of them and they were rude and unhelpful and seemed to treat the patients as an annoyance. But I've been disgusted with some of the things she's been telling me, the lax standards and lack of basic care - mum found the whole hospital stay humiliating and distressing and I'm VERY angry about it!

Talk to PALS and ask for an investigation into what is disgusting (but unfortunately widespread) treatment. I spent 3 weeks in hospital last year, on a ward with several elderly ladies and they are very often told to wet the bed, because there are incontinence pads. I myself was told that I had to use a bedpan or a commode just because no-one could be bothered to wheel me to the bathroom. I refused and just waited for my family to come in and do it. I was an 18 year old girl, how humiliating to be told to pee in your bed? But even worse for an elderly person I'd imagine.

There was a lady opposite me with a urine infection, which in the elderly causes confusion. She was told to "shut up, you don't need to go" because she asked to go to the toilet alot. She had a bloomin infection!! It's just wrong!

absolutely - its' very important to complain. even if you don't get the response you wd hope for, it will make authorities more aware of the mistakes made, & that could help them to act so that they don't happen again. the situation could improve due your complaint. its worth filling in a form or two for that.

Definitely a concise letter just putting the things down that you think were wrong, in treatment of your mother, then you will probably be sent a form.
keep a photocopy of what you send, I recommend!

good luck.