Endoscopy preparation

It is ok, this is not a graphic description of the preparation.................just another experience of Medway Hospital staff and where the hospital is "at" in its thinking.

I have an endoscopy coming up on Wednesday. Perhaps not the best way of phrasing it, but I went to the Lord Freud school of English! (for those without ready access to UK news, worth looking up some of the press coverage over the last few days if you want to understand that one).

As usual, notice of the date was a rush. A telephone call from the waiting list co-ordinator on Friday to tell me that I had been booked in for Wednesday and needed to collect the "preparation pack". Not hard to guess what is in that one! I asked her to pop it in the post, but given that fitting me in was obviously a last minute decision (albeit by a clinician I like and trust), she told me that I had to go to the Hospital to collect it as I needed to have it 2 days before the procedure. the pack would be left at the endocopy suite for me to collect.

Duly trolled down to the hospital (15 mile round trip) and found the endoscopy suite. Pressed the bell whilst reading a notice which said "only press once, we may be busy with your relative". Waited......nothing. Looked through the glass in the door and saw someone making their lunch.

Pressed again...............waited.................nothing

Called home to get the number of the woman who had called me earlier. Was just taking it down when someone with the code went in. "Doorstepped" her.............

Past a couple of rooms to be confronted with a counter behind which sat 3 people in green overalls. Was challenged as to what I was doing there and responded that I was there to pick up a pack for my endoscopy. One of them searched the pile: no pack with my name on it. Left her to sort that one out and made a general enquiry........

I had been told that I would have intra-venous sedation on the day and that I should not drive for 24 hours aferwards. I asked the people in green overalls what the real effects were and, off the record, how long before I would be able to drive? Two out of three looked at me as if I had just asked them to cut off one of their own limbs...............persisted..........still met with horror. One then "invited" me to talk to her in a meeting room.

This did not go well............

Sat me down and proceeded to give me a lecture about what patients should expect. She did not tell me her name and I only found out  that she was a nurse when she reacted very badly to my insistence that I am a person not a "patient".  She explained that to her we are all patients......it went a bit downhill for a bit!

I then challenged the bit about sedation again. This time, she came up with the "new" form of sedation that they had just introduced as an option: Entonox, better known as "gas and air". This has been a staple for midwives helping people through childbirth for more years than I can count and has been known about for 200 years, but it is new to Medway's endoscopy suite!! My flabber was well and truly ghasted!

It turns out that I can drive an hour after using Entonox, rather than 24 hours using their usual drug cocktail. Needless to say, I know which I will be choosing on Wednesday. Sorry folks, it means that you might have space for someone else on wednesday's list as I will not be hanging about recovering.

Pack found and went to navigate my way out. What I saw on the way out horrified me.

To leave the unit, I had to walk past a small room, the door of which was open leaving the contents in direct line of sight. Propped up on a trolley was a woman who was obviously recovering from sedation, still in her hospital gown.

Now call me old fashioned, but privacy and dignity were big even when I worked as a nursing auxiliary and I know the person who developed the South East Regional Privacy and Dignity Audit very well. To see someone left in full view of anyone passing in the 21st century was the worst bit of practice I have ever seen. If my friend from the CQC is reading this, I think that a rapid intervention is essential; this is practice from the dark ages.

If the manager from the hospital who contacted me is still reading the blog: I reckon you have about 5 days before all hell breaks loose from the outside world and I give fair warning that if it happens to me I will not rest until I have had a hand in shutting the place down. It was a disgrace.

The song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGXU7268Z50