That's rare!

Afternoon All,

Well it's been a funny few weeks here - I haven't been at my best, I have an issue with my immune system, which has been causing a few problems.

I couldn't get into my own Doctors to begin with so went to the local 'drop -in' centre and waited 4 hours to see a Doctor (only the Shropshire country bumpkins of our local NHS trust could send all the G.P's in this area on a course on the same day!) - I finally walked in and it was a Nurse who looked at my legs which were very swollen and had I had come out with lots of open sores, on my legs and feet and she said - I'll have to fetch a Doctor - the Doctor came looked at it, then told me what was wrong and said - it's very rare - can I photograph your legs to show my students!

 I have had to have lots of blood tests over the last week and have had a week off work on sick leave (not something I like to do given the present economic climate) but the recommended treatment was to rest, so that's what I've done.

But last Friday night I was sent from the Docs to the hospital, as he wanted to be sure that I wasn't suffering with thrombosis. I arrived at the hospital and was put on the 'fit to sit' ward at 4.30pm - I saw the Doctor at 10.30pm and finally left the hospital,  very weary and teary at 11.30pm. (I had left the house to go to work at 7.15am and had nothing to eat from the lunch time, and only 2 cups of tea throughout those 6 hours) There was no checks made for a thrombosis - he just looked at it and said 'that's very rare'! Then sent me home!

During those 6 hours of waiting, myself and the other 2 patients in there, went more than 2 hours at one point without seeing a soul - we saw the tea lady (who came round twice) more than the Doctors or Nurses. This wasn't the fault of the staff there, and is certainly no criticism of them - they were working absolutely flat out on the adjoining ward, but of the NHS trust management  and their complete lack of care for patients, to leave wards running with so little cover.

Which leads me to the news this week regarding Stafford Hospital, it amazes me when government ministers and the bosses who run that hospital say that they didn't know that people were dying due to lack of care. What absolute idiots - any working class person will  know of a poorly performing hospital, wherever you live in this country. There is one hospital back in the Midlands that's known as No Hope hospital. The local hospital close to where I work is where my Nan died - she was the first person there to go down with MRSA - I don't care if I were dying - there's no way that I would enter that hospital, cause all they'd do is kill you off even sooner, with lack of care and cleanliness!

My Nan worked in the hospitals as a cleaner in the 1930's - she used to have to get down on her hands and knees and scrub the operating theatres - there was no MRSA etc., in those days, because they were cleaned properly - no contract cleaners, cleaning to contract standard then (i.e. you get the cleaning to a standard to match what the hospitals paying for) - then, it was cleaned to the Matron's standard.

When we recently had a fire at work, in one of our properties and one poor gentleman lost in life, we were told that as we had a fire risk assessment and policy in place, if it was found that we hadn't followed that policy then we could all be liable for prosecution for corporate manslaughter, so I for one agree with the relatives of all those people who passed away, in that hospital  - the management team at Stafford Hospital should be held accountable and answerable in a court of law - if they're not held accountable then there's something wrong somewhere, with our legal system.

All I can add is a 'Well Done' to the campaigners who have fought so hard for their lost loved ones, it must have been a long hard fight for justice and they are so close now.

Speak again soon

Byee xxx