‘My experience at Raigmore Hospital was so awful I have flashbacks’
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“It was get her in, get her out,” says Denise, who would like us to use only her first name. The 72-year-old is still recovering from ongoing health problems after undergoing surgery to remove her appendix at Raigmore Hospital at the end of last year.
Denise was admitted to hospital with appendicitis and waited hours in a dark room for a bed to become available on the ward.
However, this is when her “nightmare experience started,” and Denise tells us she has “flashbacks because the experience [at Raigmore] was so awful.”
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The mother of two was not taken for surgery immediately due to being on blood thinners.
Her appendix went on to burst and she had emergency surgery. Shortly after the operation her surgeon went on holiday, and her care was overseen by junior doctors. “The problem is they have all these young doctors and it’s like throwing them in a swimming pool when they can’t swim,” she says.
Despite feeling extremely unwell and having hallucinations, a junior doctor told her she was fine to go home.
Inverness-based Denise was discharged and told to phone the ward back if she needed anything, however, once home, she struggled to get the aftercare she needed.
“I really wasn’t feeling right,” Denise says. “I was confused and manic as well as having extreme pain. When I phoned the ward the attitude of the person I spoke to was abysmal, she told me they were too busy and to phone a GP.”
After two visits to the GP and phone calls to NHS 24, Denise’s husband finally took her to A&E at Raigmore Hospital where she discovered she had sepsis – “When I went back they told me I had an infection and I was given drip antibiotics. I only found out that I had sepsis because I saw it on my notes.”
She also had a procedure cancelled twice and was not informed by a member of medical staff. “The cleaner asked me if I wanted something to eat and I said ‘I’m nil by mouth’ and she told me the procedure had been cancelled,” Denise explains. “There is no time to care anymore, they’re like robots. However, I don’t blame the staff who are doing their best under the circumstances – I blame the management.”
Denise explains that years ago when she had a stroke there was a nurse available to phone and an aftercare plan. However, this time “there was no aftercare” and she is still going through the slow process of recovery.
Aside from her own medical needs, Denise found the hospital experience to be stressful for a multitude of other reasons, including the cleanliness.
“There was a sample pot full of urine and a bag with poo in it in the toilets. This is meant to be a sterile environment,” she says. “Another time there was a toilet seat with poo on it. Being in hospital was a nightmare experience and I have flashbacks because it was so awful.”
Denise feels lucky that she was able to advocate for herself, with the help of her husband and son. She hopes that bringing attention to her story will ensure vulnerable patients will get the care they need: “Consecutive governments have neglected the NHS – if we don’t complain nothing will change and it will be run into the ground. This experience has frightened me. I’m speaking for the people who haven’t got a voice.”
This story is as recalled by the patient.
A spokesman for NHS Highland said: “We are very sorry to hear about the details of this person's experience of our services. If they are willing share their details then our chief officer for acute, would be keen to discuss this directly with them, so we can apologise in person and learn from their experience."
