Dying cancer patient refused her morphine, laughed at and then treated appallingly

[JOINERY]

Advice desperately needed, please take time to read.

http://www.nappyvalleynet.com/mums/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=80582

[NewWave]

heartbreaking reading.

Please take it to the press- Its important that people are made aware that things are going on in our hospitals.

I myself was an oncology patent 9 years ago and even then I saw great variables in my treatment depending if it was agency nurses or the regular nurses.

an agency nurse the day after I'd undergone a 10hour operation didn't notice I had 6drains attached to me and tried to get me to sit up and get out of bed pulling me by my arms whilst I screamed in agony-luckily my surgeons were actually starting their ward round at that moment and one of them came over and physically picked me up and lay me back down whilst explaining I couldn't be pulled around like that with the drains attached.

My heart bleeds for you and your wife.

Sadly unless someone becomes seriously ill or is with someone with a terminal illness they don't realise our hit and miss NHS healthcare has become.

Dont let this rest, I know its exhausting but please take this to the top.

No one should suffer as your wife did.

God bless.

[Pugwash]

Whilst this is an appalling tale- I hope that medical staff have improved their knowledge and humanity when confronted with patients who are terminally ill. Education around End of Life care has been rolled out over the last few years to social workers, health workers and medical staff of all descriptions. St. Christopher's Hospice Staff in their Education Department have held lectures/talks etc around this highly emotional subject.

If someone is terminally ill and life expectancy is a matter of days or couple of weeks, and they wish to die at home, Palliative Care Nurses can arrange for specialist carers to assist the family with caring for their loved one. This is known as Fast Track and is the responsibility of the health service not social services.

My mother died in St. Christopher's Hospice, she had always expressed a wish that she died there, she did not want to be at home or in hospital. When it was clear that she had a limited time, she went to the Hospice. Initially was given 3 days to live but lasted 10.The care and support she was given was excellent and we were well cared for as well. Pain was well controlled and at no time did she express being in severe pain. It was a gentle death - which everyone should have.

Inhumane care of the dying (or anyone else for that matter) should not be allowed and must be exposed. I have (and my colleagues) have reported inhumane/unkind/thoughtless ward staff when working in hospitals (both in person and in writing) Poor practices cannot just be swept under the carpet

[JOINERY]

Thanks for your kind responses.

[JOINERY]

Any further response gratefully appreciated

[P.O.U.S.theWonderCat]

Have you sought legal advice about this? If not, let me know and I'll see if I can find a recommendation for someone to speak to.

[JOINERY]

once again thanks for responses

[JOINERY]

Just "bumping" this post.

[Robert Poste's Child]

So sorry for what you and your wife have been through.

Have you taken this to your MP? That might help shift things. I'm not a lawyer but perhaps you could also look into bringing a case for corporate negligence or something like that.

On the oxygen of publicity, how about contacting Radio London, either the Vanessa Feltz or Eddie Nestor shows, and find out whether they'd be interested in doing a programme on this?

What does worry me, though, is your own health and the completely understandable toll all this has had on you. You said bereavement counselling wasn't much help, and I wonder if your wife's death has got tangled up with her treatment by the nurses, and that has got in the way of the natural grieving process that you might have gone through otherwise. It sounds like you need some more support for yourself and I'd encourage you to look into some more counselling. Your GP should be able to help with this.

[JOINERY]

Just "bumping" this post.

[JOINERY]

One again just to thank everyone for their support. This complaint is still ongoing, but I have since

last writing lost both my Dad and then my brother , so have not had all the time needed to keep fighting this. I have not and will not give up. There is now a link on NHS complaints Face book page to this article.

[Saffron]

I'm so very sorry to read that Joinery. Do keep up the fight. You deserve answers, and the Trust needs to learn from their mistakes.

:(

xx

[JohnL]

No call for not providing morphine other than spitefulness.

If you're getting better - that's when they take it off you (I remember the fuss I made)

The only think I would say is "Are you going to deal with this or do you want me to deal with it"